This PR addresses the question about where user identification is positioned and implemented in this Vertical Slice Architecture by providing comprehensive documentation and working examples.

Changes Made

📚New Documentation

• docs/UserIdentificationArchitecture.md - Complete guide explaining how user identification works in this architecture, including:

  • Core infrastructure components (ICurrentUserService,AuthorizationBehaviour)
  • Authorization pipeline and audit integration
  • Current capabilities vs. what's missing (no auth system by design)
  • Implementation patterns and examples

• docs/AddingAuthenticationExample.md - Step-by-step guide for implementing JWT authentication while following vertical slice patterns:

  • Complete working example with User entity, JWT service, login/register features
  • Configuration setup and testing approaches
  • Demonstrates how to extend the existing infrastructure

🔧Working Example

• src/Application/Features/TodoLists/GetMyTodoLists.cs - New feature demonstrating:
  • Using[Authorize] attribute to protect endpoints
  • Accessing current user viaICurrentUserService
  • Filtering data by authenticated user
  • Following established vertical slice patterns

📖Updated README

Added new section linking to the documentation with overview of user identification capabilities.

Key Architectural Insights

The user identification system is positioned as across-cutting concern across multiple layers:

1. Infrastructure Services -ICurrentUserService extracts user from HTTP context claims
2. Pipeline Behaviors -AuthorizationBehaviour automatically enforces authentication for[Authorize] decorated requests
3. Database Integration -ApplicationDbContext automatically populates audit fields (CreatedBy/LastModifiedBy)
4. Feature Level - Individual features can access current user and implement authorization logic

Current State

The architecture provides all theinfrastructure for user identification but intentionally leaves the authentication mechanism flexible:

• ✅ User identification plumbing is complete and ready
• ✅ Authorization system works with[Authorize] attributes
• ✅ Automatic audit trail for all entities
• ✅ Testing infrastructure supports mocked users
• 🔧 Authentication system is pluggable (JWT, Identity, external providers)

This design allows developers to choose their preferred authentication approach while leveraging the existing user identification infrastructure that automatically handles authorization, auditing, and user context throughout the application.

The new/api/my-todo-lists endpoint visible in Swagger demonstrates the system working - it's protected by authorization and filters results by the current user, showcasing how user identification integrates seamlessly with business logic.

💡 You can make Copilot smarter by setting up custom instructions, customizing its development environment and configuring Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. Learn moreCopilot coding agent tips in the docs.