Devise Authenticate User for AJAX Requests

What is the best way of handling redirects in an AJAX call that require users (through devise)? I wanted to do something like:

$('#love').click(开发者_高级运维function() {
  $.get('/item/#{item.id}', function(data) {
    if (data.redirect) { window.location.replace(data.redirect); return; }
  }); 
});

However, I'm not sure how to get devise before filter (authenticate user) handle the 'js' request format. Any ideas?

Devise has special option just for that: http_authenticatable_on_xhr You might find this devise issue relevant.

Also, I really advice against using redirects with XHR requests. You'll find yourself in a world of pain once you try using that with firefox. Before Gecko 7.0 firefox wouldn't save headers from original request when following an XHR redirect.

According to developer.mozilla.org XMLHttpRequest page:

From Gecko 7.0 headers set by setRequestHeader() are sent with the request when following a redirect. Previously these headers would not be sent.

You can do something like this in your ApplicationController file to redirect via AJAX:

  # allows redirecting for AJAX calls as well as normal calls
  def redirect_to(options = {}, response_status = {})
    if request.xhr?
      render(:update) {|page| page.redirect_to(options)}
    else
      super(options, response_status)
    end
  end

So essentially, if a request is made via AJAX and the controller action (or a before_filter) says to redirect to a sign in page, this will redirect the page for that AJAX call.

If you store the request data in a cookie, you might be able to fulfill the request after the user is properly authenticated.