bolt
An integrated security system for Clojure applications built on Stuart Sierra's component library.
What is bolt?
Bolt is an integrated security system for Clojure web applications built on Stuart Sierra's component library. It provides a comprehensive, pluggable framework that separates security concerns from application logic, addressing the lack of robust security solutions in the Clojure ecosystem. The system enables developers to implement authentication, authorization, and other security features as modular components.
Clojure developers building larger web applications with multiple modules, especially those using Liberator or yada for REST APIs. It's suitable for teams needing a maintainable, integrated security framework rather than assembling standalone libraries.
Developers choose Bolt because it offers an integrated, component-based security system specifically designed for Clojure's modular applications. Unlike alternatives like Friend, Bolt is built on Stuart Sierra's component library, providing better modularity, comprehensibility, and flexibility for complex applications.
Overview
An integrated security system for applications built on component
Use Cases
Best For
- Securing large Clojure web applications with multiple modules
- Building modular security systems with pluggable components
- Implementing authentication and authorization in component-based architectures
- Developing REST APIs with Liberator or yada that require integrated security
- Teams needing a comprehensible, maintainable security framework for Clojure
- Projects requiring protocol polymorphism for security customization
Not Ideal For
- Small Clojure web applications with only Compojure routes and no need for modular components
- Production systems requiring a stable, version 1.0 security framework immediately
- Teams preferring dynamic vars or simpler, non-component-based architectures over protocol polymorphism
- Projects that don't use Stuart Sierra's component library and aren't willing to adopt it
Pros & Cons
Pros
Provides a complete set of security components out-of-the-box, eliminating the need to assemble disparate libraries, as emphasized in the README's goal to fill the Clojure security gap.
Built on Stuart Sierra's component library, enabling composable and maintainable security systems for larger applications, specifically targeting modular setups with Liberator or yada.
Consistently adopts Clojure's protocol polymorphism for flexibility and extensibility, allowing easy customization without relying on dynamic vars, as noted in the README discussion.
Allows interchange of components for bespoke needs, offering adaptability for custom applications without overhauling the entire security system.
Cons
The README explicitly states Bolt is not suitable for production until version 1.0, as it hasn't undergone thorough peer review or deployment, limiting its use in critical systems.
Designed for larger applications, it introduces a steeper learning curve with component-based architecture and protocol polymorphism, making it overkill for simpler projects.
As a pre-1.0 project, it has fewer community resources, third-party integrations, and documentation compared to established alternatives like Friend, potentially slowing development.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
FriendAn extensible authentication and authorization library for Clojure Ring web applications and services.
BuddySecurity library for Clojure
caesiumModern cryptography (libsodium/NaCl) for Clojure
secrets.cljA library designed to generate cryptographically strong random numbers suitable for managing data such as passwords, account authentication, security tokens, and related secrets.
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