Firebase by Google Alexandru Toprceanu , Claudiu Groza , - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Firebase by Google Alexandru Toprceanu , Claudiu Groza , - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Nov 16, 2023 399 likes •854 views

Firebase by Google Alexandru Toprceanu , Claudiu Groza , Universitatea Politehnica Timioara Intuitive Software Agenda What is Firebase? What features does it offer? What platforms does it support? Overview of real-time

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Firebase

Alexandru Topîrceanu, Universitatea Politehnica Timișoara

by Google

Claudiu Groza, Intuitive Software

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Agenda

  • What is Firebase?
  • What features does it offer?
  • What platforms does it support?
  • Overview of real-time database
  • Support for user authentication (client vs. server)
  • Overview of storage
  • Database and Storage Rules
  • Notifications
  • Integration in academia: Agora & student projects
  • Integration in industry: Canvy
  • Why choose it over other backend solutions?
  • Overview towards future
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What is Firebase?

Mobile platform that helps you quickly develop apps, grow your user base, and earn more money. Firebase is made up of complementary features that you can mix to fit your needs.

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What features does it offer?

  • Analytics
  • Development

○ Cloud messaging ○ Authentication ○ Realtime database ○ Storage ○ Hosting, Test lab, Crash reporting

  • Growth

○ Remote config, Notifications, App indexing, Dynamic links, Invites

  • Earning - AdMob
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What platforms does it support?

iOS Android Web Online documentation, Code lab, API reference, Samples

  • C++ (native Android)
  • Unity (beta)
  • Firebase Admin SDK (Node.js, Admin Java SDK)
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Realtime database

A cloud-hosted NoSQL database Data is:

  • stored as JSON
  • synced across devices in a matter of ms
  • available when the app goes offline

Console

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Realtime database. How does it work?

Data is persisted locally. Even while offline, realtime events continue to fire, giving the end user a responsive experience. Conflicts are merged automatically when connectivity is regained. NoSQL database with different optimizations and functionality compared to a relational database => structure data accordingly

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Realtime database. Structuring data

{ // bad structure "chats": { "one": { "title": "Historical Tech Pioneers", "messages": { "m1": { "sender": "ghopper", "message": "Relay malfunction found. Cause: moth." }, "m2": { ... }, // a very long list of messages } }, "two": { ... } } }

  • E.g. to get list of chat titles (threads): iterate all data (members, messages)
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Realtime database.

{ // better structure "chats": { "one": { "title": "Historical Tech Pioneers", "lastMessage": "ghopper: Relay malfunction found. Cause: moth.", "timestamp": 1459361875666 }, "two": { ... }, "three": { ... } }, // members info "members": { "one": { "ghopper": true, "alovelace": true, "eclarke": true }, "two": { ... }, "three": { ... } }, // messages info "messages": { "one": { "m1": { "name": "eclarke", "message": "The relay seems to be malfunctioning.", "timestamp": 1459361875337 }, "m2": { ... }, "m3": { ... } }, "two": { ... }, "three": { ... } } }

  • Get list of chats (titles)
  • Members in each chat
  • Message thread for each chat
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Realtime database. Set data and listen for changes

Three types of listeners:

  • ValueEventListener: returns all data below node
  • SingleValueEventListener: returns all data below node, once
  • ChildEvenentListener : returns only modified child node under current node

Database reference: node on which R/W operations can be done

databaseRef.child(“messages”).child(“one”).child(“m1”).child(“message”)

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Realtime database. Set data and listen for changes

Listening for changes in a node

ValueEventListener msgListener = new ValueEventListener() { @Override public void onDataChange(DataSnapshot dataSnapshot) { // Get Post object and use the values to update the UI Message msg = dataSnapshot.getValue(Message.class); // ... } @Override public void onCancelled(DatabaseError databaseError) { // Getting Message failed, log a message Log.w(TAG, "loadMessage:onCancelled", databaseError.toException()); // ... } }; databaseRef.addValueEventListener(msgListener);

Triggered every time something changes below the databaseRef node. All data below the node will be re-downloaded

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Realtime database. Set data and listen for changes

Listening for changes in a node Triggered every time something changes below the databaseRef node. Only modified child below the node will be re-downloaded

ChildEventListener childEventListener = new ChildEventListener() { @Override public void onChildAdded(DataSnapshot dataSnapshot, String previousChildName) {...} @Override public void onChildChanged(DataSnapshot dataSnapshot, String previousChildName) {...} @Override public void onChildRemoved(DataSnapshot dataSnapshot) {...} @Override public void onChildMoved(DataSnapshot dataSnapshot, String previousChildName) {...} }; ref.addChildEventListener(childEventListener);

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Realtime database. Set data and listen for changes

Writing data

Message msg = new Message(...); databaseRef.child("messages").child("one").child("m1").setValue(msg); databaseRef.child("messages").child("one").child("m1").child("message").setValue("This is a test message");

Map<String, Object> childUpdates = new HashMap<>(); childUpdates.put("name", name); childUpdates.put("mesasage", “This is a test message”); childUpdates.put("timestamp", getTime()); databaseRef.updateChildren(childUpdates);

Overwrite key with single value Overwrite key with object value Update key with values list

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Realtime database. Offline persistence

Firebase apps automatically handle temporary network interruptions for you. Queues r/w operations locally

FirebaseDatabase.getInstance().setPersistenceEnabled(true);

Transactions are not persistent across app restarts (use other solution...)

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Client user authentication

Support for different providers:

  • Email/password (managed by Firebase)
  • Google
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • GitHub
  • Anonymous

Templates for: email verification, password reset, change email

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Client user authentication

Listener for auth events

mAuthListener = new FirebaseAuth.AuthStateListener() { @Override public void onAuthStateChanged(@NonNull FirebaseAuth firebaseAuth) { FirebaseUser user = firebaseAuth.getCurrentUser(); if (user != null) { // User is signed in } else { // User is signed out } } }; FirebaseUser user = FirebaseAuth.getInstance().getCurrentUser();

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Client user authentication

User management operations with callbacks:

mAuth.createUserWithEmailAndPassword(email, password) mAuth.signInWithEmailAndPassword(email, password) user.updateProfile(profileUpdates) user.updateEmail("user@example.com") user.sendEmailVerification() user.updatePassword(newPassword) mAuth.sendPasswordResetEmail(emailAddress) user.delete() user.reauthenticate(credential)

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Client user authentication

Use APP/API key and secret for providers other than Google/Firebase

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Server user authentication

  • Integrate Admin Auth API with own servers
  • Java SDK, Node.js SDK, REST API
  • Service account needed
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Server user authentication

  • User management: programmatic access to users; it offers additional
  • perations (compared to Firebase console)
  • Node.js SDK
  • Retrieve, create, update and remove user credentials
  • Example (Node.js):

admin.auth().getUserByEmail(email) .then(function(userRecord) { // success }) .catch(function(error) { // fail });

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Server user authentication

  • Custom authentication: server composes different claims for an user account;
  • Example (Java):

String uid; HashMap<String, Object> claims = new HashMap<String, Object>(); claims.put("paidAccount", true); FirebaseAuth.getInstance().createCustomToken(uid, claims) .addOnSuccessListener(new OnSuccessListener<String>() { @Override public void onSuccess(String token) { // send retrieved token back to requester } });

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Server user authentication

  • Custom authentication: client uses retrieved custom server token to

authenticate current user with Firebase

  • Example (Java):

FirebaseAuth.getInstance().signInWithCustomToken(token) .addOnCompleteListener(this, new OnCompleteListener<AuthResult>() { @Override public void onComplete(@NonNull Task<AuthResult> task) { } } });

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Server user authentication

  • Identity verification: server can perform Firebase operations on behalf of the

user

  • Example (Java):

String idToken; // sent by client FirebaseAuth.getInstance().verifyIdToken(idToken) .addOnSuccessListener(new OnSuccessListener<FirebaseToken>() { @Override public void onSuccess(FirebaseToken decodedToken) { String uid = decodedToken.getUid(); } });

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Storage

  • Same hierarchical structure as Firebase Database
  • Used for storing and retrieving user-generated content
  • Robust: an upload/download restarts where it was initially stopped
  • Secure: it can integrate with Firebase Authentication or use a declarative

security model

  • Scalable: it’s backed by Google Cloud Storage
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Storage

  • Create a reference to the storage resource

String uid; StorageReference rootRef = FirebaseStorage.getInstance().getReference().getRoot(); StorageReference imageRef = rootRef.child("images").child(uid).child("avatar.png");

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Storage

  • Upload a local file to Firebase

File file; imageRef.putFile(file) .addOnFailureListener(new OnFailureListener() { @Override public void onFailure(Exception exception) { // handle failure } }) .addOnSuccessListener(new OnSuccessListener<UploadTask.TaskSnapshot>() { @Override public void onSuccess(UploadTask.TaskSnapshot taskSnapshot) { Uri downloadUrl = taskSnapshot.getDownloadUrl(); } });

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Storage

  • Download a file from Firebase

File file; imageRef.getFile(file) .addOnFailureListener(new OnFailureListener() { @Override public void onFailure(Exception exception) { // handle failure } }) .addOnSuccessListener(new OnSuccessListener<FileDownloadTask.TaskSnapshot>() { @Override public void onSuccess(FileDownloadTask.TaskSnapshot taskSnapshot) { // content downloaded } });

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Database Rules

  • Supports .read, .write, .validate, .indexOn
  • .read and .write rules cascade
  • .read and .write rules shallower in the database override deeper rules
  • .validate rules do not cascade
  • E.g., a group of chat:

{ "rules": { "friends": { ".read": true, ".write": true } } }

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Database Rules

  • Enforce that only authenticated users can write and read

{ "rules": { "friends": { ".read": "auth != null", ".write": "auth != null" } } }

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Database Rules

  • Enforce write only for ‘owner’

{ "rules": { "friends": { "$uid": { ".write": "$uid === auth.uid" } } } }

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Database Rules

  • Apply different validations on new data

{ "rules": { "friends": { "$uid": { ".validate": "newData.hasChildren(['msg', 'timestamp']) && newData.child('msg').val().length < 100" } } } }

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Database Rules

  • Index children based on timestamp

{ "rules": { "friends": { "$uid": { ".indexOn": ["timestamp"] } } } }

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Storage Rules

allow read, write: if <condition>; service firebase.storage { match /b/<firebase-storage-bucket>/o { // flat representation "friends/<UID>/avatar.png" match /friends/{userId}/{allPaths=**} { allow write: if request.auth.uid == userId; allow read: if request.auth != null; } } }

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Notifications

  • Built on Firebase Cloud Messaging
  • Simple and fast user notifications (marketing campaigns)
  • Integrates with Firebase Analytics
  • Demo: https://github.com/firebase/quickstart-android/tree/master/messaging
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Agora with Firebase

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Agora: database structure

1. Poll names and description 2. Poll options + (icons from Storage) 3. Poll results

List of active polls Poll options Poll votes Results in client app Poll option icons

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Student projects with Firebase

  • Parental control and location monitoring app (auth, db, notif, invites)
  • Smart outfit manager (auth, db, storage, notif)
  • Home automation platform (sensors, RasPi, app control) (auth, db)
  • Local cinema reviews (db, storage, notif, invites)
  • Administration-online
  • Real-time parking reservation and access
  • Chat with *special* encryption types (fingerprint, steganography)
  • Game of life with multiplayer
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Canvy backend services

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Canvy meets Firebase

  • Try not to “overfit” Firebase services and tools
  • Use database data denormalization
  • Keep an eye on how your security rules would look like when designing

your database

  • Bolt compiler may become useful when rules are complex
  • Track application method count when adding new Firebase dependencies
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Why choose Firebase?

  • Solution by Google (security, availability, easy integration)
  • Free: Analytics, App Indexing, Authentication, Cloud Messaging, Crash

Reporting, Dynamic Links, Invites, Notifications & Remote Config

  • Great free plan /
  • Attractive starter plans
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Future: Android Things

  • The “sweetness” of Android development in embedded devices
  • Extends the core framework with additional APIs provided by Things

Support Library

  • Supports a large set of development boards
  • Firebase Cloud Doorbell example
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References and image credits

1. https://firebase.google.com 2. https://developer.android.com/things 3. http://gocanvy.com