I have a before filter that authorizes a user's credentials before
giving them access to any protected methods (pretty standard
practice). If they fail authorization, I want to direct them to a
chance to login or to create an account (also pretty standard
practice).
Here's the rub:
I want to offer them a login form in a small modal box overlayed on
their current screen. I know how to do this from the client side,
using javascript, but in this case, I want the server to render that
modal box (since it's the server that determines that the user's
credentials are missing).
The server can only respond to client (browser) requests, so you have
to either render a login page and then redirect to the original
destination or you need to have some javascript to help with what you
want. In short, the server can't MAKE the browser do anything...
yes but - can i render that login page as an overlay modal box instead
of a full page?
[...]
Sure, with appropriate JavaScript and a suitably constructed partial or
other HTML file. (But remember to make it accessible also to users who
don't have JavaScript turned on.)
Also see if HTTP-Basic authentication is suitable for your needs. With
this model, the server tells the browser that it wants login
credentials, and the browser presents a login dialog of some sort, so
that the server doesn't have to provide an HTML login form.