Authentication Scheme Comparison¶
Learning Objective¶
Compare HTTP Basic, OAuth 1.0a, and token-based authentication across security posture, browser-safety, implementation cost, and revocation support, and pick the appropriate scheme for a deployment scenario.
- Bloom Level: Evaluate (L5)
- Bloom Verb: Compare
- Library: p5.js
How to Use¶
- Click any column (HTTP Basic, OAuth 1.0a, Token-based) to update the detail panel on the right with when-to-use guidance, the canonical HTTP request, and per-platform configuration notes.
- Toggle "Show common pitfall" to overlay the most frequent implementation mistake on the currently selected column.
- Reset selection restores the default (Token-based, the recommended scheme for most modern deployments).
What Each Bar Means¶
Each column shows a 4-segment bar across four axes:
- Browser-safe — Can credentials be safely used from front-end code?
- Easy to implement — How much engineering effort is required?
- Easy to revoke — How quickly can a leaked credential be invalidated?
- Spec mandated — Is the scheme required by the xAPI 1.0.3 specification?
A 4/4 bar is best on that axis; a 1/4 bar is worst.
Specification¶
The full specification below is extracted from Chapter 7: LRS Platforms, Authentication, and Hosting Models.
Type: interactive-infographic
**sim-id:** authentication-scheme-comparison<br/>
**Library:** p5.js<br/>
**Status:** Specified
**Learning objective (Bloom — Evaluating):** Compare HTTP Basic, OAuth 1.0a, and token-based authentication across security posture, browser-safety, implementation cost, and revocation support, and pick the appropriate scheme for a deployment scenario.
**Layout:** Three side-by-side columns, one per scheme; a side panel on the right showing the selected scheme's detail.
**Each column shows:**
- Scheme name in a header bar (Basic / OAuth 1.0a / Token-based)
- A security badge (Yellow: Basic, Green-with-caveat: OAuth, Green: Token)
- A 4-axis bar chart: browser-safe, implementation effort, revocation, spec-mandated
- A one-line summary
**Side panel shows:** When-to-use guidance, the canonical request example, common pitfalls, and a one-line note on how the scheme is typically configured in each of the four major LRS platforms.
**Interaction:**
- Hover or click a column to update the side panel
- Toggle "Show common pitfall" — overlays the column with a callout about the most frequent implementation mistake for that scheme
**Default canvas:** 1000×550px, responsive.
Implementation: p5.js for the column rendering, bar charts, and selection state; HTML overlay for the side panel.