All Superinterfaces:

Serializable

All Known Subinterfaces:

HostAuthenticationToken, RememberMeAuthenticationToken

All Known Implementing Classes:

BearerToken, CasToken, UsernamePasswordToken
```
public interface AuthenticationToken
extends Serializable
```
An AuthenticationToken is a consolidation of an account's principals and supporting credentials submitted by a user during an authentication attempt.

The token is submitted to an Authenticator via the authenticate(token) method. The Authenticator then executes the authentication/log-in process.

Common implementations of an AuthenticationToken would have username/password pairs, X.509 Certificate, PGP key, or anything else you can think of. The token can be anything needed by an Authenticator to authenticate properly.

Because applications represent user data and credentials in different ways, implementations of this interface are application-specific. You are free to acquire a user's principals and credentials however you wish (e.g. web form, Swing form, fingerprint identification, etc) and then submit them to the Shiro framework in the form of an implementation of this interface.

If your application's authentication process is username/password based (like most), instead of implementing this interface yourself, take a look at the UsernamePasswordToken class, as it is probably sufficient for your needs.

RememberMe services are enabled for a token if they implement a sub-interface of this one, called RememberMeAuthenticationToken. Implement that interface if you need RememberMe services (the UsernamePasswordToken already implements this interface).

If you are familiar with JAAS, an AuthenticationToken replaces the concept of a Callback, and defines meaningful behavior (Callback is just a marker interface, and of little use). We also think the name AuthenticationToken more accurately reflects its true purpose in a login framework, whereas Callback is less obvious.

Since:

0.1

See Also:

RememberMeAuthenticationToken, HostAuthenticationToken, UsernamePasswordToken

Method Summary

All Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods
Modifier and Type	Method	Description
`Object`	`getCredentials()`	Returns the credentials submitted by the user during the authentication process that verifies the submitted `account identity`.
`Object`	`getPrincipal()`	Returns the account identity submitted during the authentication process.

- Method Detail
  - getPrincipal
```
Object getPrincipal()
```
    Returns the account identity submitted during the authentication process.
    
    Most application authentications are username/password based and have this object represent a username. If this is the case for your application, take a look at the UsernamePasswordToken, as it is probably sufficient for your use.
    
    Ultimately, the object returned is application specific and can represent any account identity (user id, X.509 certificate, etc).
    
    Returns:
    
    the account identity submitted during the authentication process.
    
    See Also:
    
    UsernamePasswordToken
  - getCredentials
```
Object getCredentials()
```
    Returns the credentials submitted by the user during the authentication process that verifies the submitted account identity.
    
    Most application authentications are username/password based and have this object represent a submitted password. If this is the case for your application, take a look at the UsernamePasswordToken, as it is probably sufficient for your use.
    
    Ultimately, the credentials Object returned is application specific and can represent any credential mechanism.
    
    Returns:
    
    the credential submitted by the user during the authentication process.

Interface AuthenticationToken

Method Summary

Method Detail

getPrincipal

getCredentials