Users Roles and Filters

One way is to use a before filter on your controllers / resources.

->before('role:Administrator');

And the filter (example):

Route::filter('role', function($route, $request, $role)
{
    if (Auth::guest() or Auth::user()->role != $role)
    {
        return Redirect::to('/youshallnotpass');
    }
}

Okay but what about when more than 1 type of role can access a certain controller.

Hmm, I think I would turn it around. A user has many roles and just one role has access.

But if you like to do it your way, I think to pass all roles is the best way: ->before('role:Administrator,Editor');

And the your filter:

Route::filter('role', function($route, $request, $role)
{
    $roles = explode(',', $role);

    foreach($roles as $role)
    {
        if (Auth::guest() or Auth::user()->role == $role)
        {
            return;
        }
    }
    return Redirect::to('/youshallnotpass');
}

Just take that as a hint. I don't know if that works. Additionally, to call Auth::guest() on every single iteration is bad too :) I just made a minimal change to the first example.

I made some changes but I'm receiving this following error.

Call to a member function before() on null 

Route::resource('users', 'UsersController')->before('role:Administrator, Site Owner');

    Route::filter('role', function($route, $request, $role)
    {
        if(Auth::guest() !== true)
        {
            if(!empty($role)
            {
                $roles = explode(',', $role);
                if(count($roles) > 0)
                {
                    $truth_roles = array();
                    foreach($roles as $role)
                    {
                            if (Auth::user()->role == $role)
                            {
                                 array_push($truth_roles, $role);
                            }
                    }
                    return $truth_roles;
                }
            }
            return Redirect::to('/youshallnotpass');
        }
    }

Does your UsersController extend BaseController?

It does.

->before() doesn't work on resources if I'm right.

You have to set your filter within the constructor of the controller:

class UsersController extends BaseController {

    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->beforeFilter('role:Administrator, Site Owner');
    }

}

You'll find more information here: http://laravel.com/docs/4.2/controllers#controller-filters

I performed the top it initially works but I"m wondering how what is being passed as the role and what not.

class BaseController extends Controller {

    public function __construct()
    {
        Auth::loginUsingId(1);
        $currentUser = User::with('role')->find(Auth::user()->id);
        echo '<pre>';
        dd($currentUser);
        echo '</pre>';
        View::share('currentUser', $currentUser);
    }
}

class UsersController extends BaseController {

    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->beforeFilter('role:Administrator, Owner');
    }
}

Route::filter('role', function($route, $request, $role)
{
    if(Auth::guest() !== true)
    {
        if(!empty($role))
        {
            $roles = explode(',', $role);
            if(count($roles) > 0)
            {
                foreach($roles as $role)
                {
                    if (Auth::user()->role == $role)
                    {
                        return;
                    }
                }
            }
        }
        return Redirect::to('/youshallnotpass');
    }
});

array(11) {
  ["id"]=>
  string(1) "1"
  ["first_name"]=>
  string(7) "John"
  ["last_name"]=>
  string(8) "Smith"
  ["username"]=>
  string(10) "jsmith"
  ["email_address"]=>
  string(20) "jsmith@gmail.com"
  ["role_id"]=>
  string(1) "4"
  ["status_id"]=>
  string(1) "1"
  ["created_at"]=>
  string(19) "2015-01-06 03:15:53"
  ["updated_at"]=>
  string(19) "2015-01-06 03:15:53"
  ["deleted_at"]=>
  NULL
  ["role"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["id"]=>
    string(1) "4"
    ["role_name"]=>
    string(5) "Owner"
  }
}

Sorry, I don't understand the question.

But now I saw a mistake I made. You have to check Auth::user()->role->role_name == $role instead. I didn't notice that at the beginning.

Maybe that was your question.

Another comment.

if(!empty($role))
 {
    //...
}

I think I would change that to and exception. Because it is wrong to set the role filter without needed roles. Or I would set a default like Route::filter('role', function($route, $request, $role = 'Site Owner')

Then the

if(count($roles) > 0)
 {
    //...
}

That is a double check for the same isn't it?

Or could it be $currentUser instead of Auth::user(). Another thing is if I were to pass in the $role in the filter and dd the variable I only get Administrator so if I pass in multiple's then it doesn't show that.