Nodejs-storage: Better document how to make an authenticated call to google storage

[ORESoftware]

Making an authenticated call to google storage should be better documented. I filed a ticket with the google samples repo here: https://github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/golang-samples/issues/1335

Basically, I have some auth info here:

const authInfo = {
  "type": "service_account",
  "project_id": "cp",
  "private_key_id": "219ea05d6xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx15c9d58ae41",
  "private_key": "-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----\nMIIEuwIBADANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAASCBKUwggShAgEAAoIBAQCwv8UbpV5+FCYs\nITueZWyrcxxMaos+QBFU0GMBVWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxD2tK1aaUR6+ovhj70yBnHDRdAu\nAnskcDEi6vTPKU6gNz8dC0gdE94dfaQy7k6tlg9hQq/J+MgrUAR3HOf1FyzhMyLh\n7qlnN5WNgBIz1imM/u9k\n-----END PRIVATE KEY-----\n",
  "client_email": "[email protected]",
  "client_id": "1071381xxxxx900319",
  "auth_uri": "https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/auth",
  "token_uri": "https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token",
  "auth_provider_x509_cert_url": "https://www.googleapis.com/oauth2/v1/certs",
  "client_x509_cert_url": "https://www.googleapis.com/robot/v1/metadata/x509/back-end%40cp.iam.gserviceaccount.com"
}

why can't I find a good example of how to pass the auth info to the google storage initialization here:

const {Storage} = require('@google-cloud/storage');

const storage = new Storage();

const bucketName = 'bucket-name';

async function createBucket() {
  await storage.createBucket(bucketName);
}

so if I have the auth info where the f do I stick it and how?

something like this:

const {Storage} = require('@google-cloud/storage');

const storage = new Storage(authInfo);  // here maybe?

const bucketName = 'bucket-name';

async function createBucket() {
  await storage.createBucket(bucketName, authInfo); // or here maybe?
}

I realize there is probably more than one way to authenticate but with some keys and certs I just want to get it done.

[ORESoftware]

For example, I see this:

 const storage = new Storage({keyFilename: "key.json"});

umm so why don't we have an example of just passing a JS object?

 const js = require('../key.json'); // we get the file
 const storage = new Storage(js); // we pass the object not the filepath

seems like the object version instead of the filepath version is more intuitive and type-checking is also easier?

[itsbrianburton]

keyFilename is for passing a path, credentials is used to pass a credentials object. Like so:

const {Storage} = require('@google-cloud/storage');

const storage = new Storage({
  credentials: authInfo
});

const bucketName = 'bucket-name';

async function createBucket() {
  await storage.createBucket(bucketName);
}

[ORESoftware]

is there a way to use the .json file in the front-end? or does this lib only work with node.js?

[acomito]

Found this helpful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGSzMfKBV9Q

The docs are lack luster

[rafinskipg]

i think it is poorly documented how to use the credentials object. Having to use a json file in some scenarios is overwhelming. Having environment variables that could handle that for you.

Is there anyone that have found the correct way of using credentials?

[stephenplusplus]

These are the choices for authentication:

new Storage({ keyFilename: '/path/to/service-account-key.json' })
new Storage({ credentials: require('/path/to/service-account-key.json' })
new Storage() // env var: GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS=/path/to/service-account-key.json

[rafinskipg]

thanks @stephenplusplus plus

I ended up setting this

javascript const storage = new Storage({ credentials: { client_email: process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_EMAIL, private_key: process.env.GOOGLE_PRIVATE_KEY.replace(/\\n/g, '\n') }, projectId: process.env.GOOGLE_PROJECTID })

[richardscarrott]

@rafinskipg thank you! This is so much simpler than having to get a file system involved!