In times when Parse.com was on they had a function that called a cloud function directly and returned whatever I wanted. So I could have all the server logic on the server, not in client code. Doe's Firebase has it as well? I can't find it - all I found are HTTP triggers, but it implies that it's not available through Javascript SDK. Am I missing something or do I have to use REST interface for that?
To run server-side code that is triggered by events in Firebase, you'd use Cloud Functions for Firebase. Currently these can trigger code through the Firebase Database updates, Authentication, Analytics, Cloud Storage and HTTP. The documentation I linked has all the details.
As Frank van Puffelen has explained you could use Functions, I'll like to add a couple of things.
You could also use the Firebase Database Admin SDK for the Database, this requires you have a server
Firebase Functions is a sort of big brother, constantly listening for whatever you want. Currently starting and deploying functions is fairly easy and fast, I love this how to video. Basically, you have to install the CLI and then using commands, create a project, write your js for Functions and for deploying those changes to Firebase Functions use the CLI again
Functions can listen more than what the Admin SDK can, the Admin SDK is for the Database while Functions is for, authentification, database, and cloud messaging. This means any user registration or deletion or any change in a node, can trigger further logic. This logic could include sending push notifications. There is a github repo where you can see a lot of examples, I made myself a small repo for the same purpose
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I have a desktop app that will be distributed to users, and part of its code (which the user might be able to access) has to perform an API call to a third-party web service. However, this requires the API keys to be embedded into the source code, which causes some obvious security issues.
The main solution I've found while researching on the subject is to have a backend server between the user and the third-party API endpoint. So, I've been looking into Firebase for a while and it seems that this solution can be implemented using Firestore and Cloud Functions.
But, I wasn't able to find any clear examples that achieve something like this, and since I have no previous experience with Firebase or just backend programming in general, I would like to know if I'm on the right track and get more details about how to get it done, or if there are better alternatives for solving this issue. Any input is appreciated, thx.
You can use the firebase cloud functions as you mentioned. Your desktop application will be communicating with the cloud function - simple API call. Here you can find examples how to implement and deploy functions and test it locally https://firebase.google.com/docs/functions/get-started. Your cloud function will hold the API keys (it is backend so it will be secure if you dont expose it explicitly. Also the backend to backend communication is considered as secure). Finally, this cloud function will call the third party service and return some data back to the desktop app if needed. So you are on the right track, that is how the design should look like. If you need some help with cloud functions, you can also contact me directly.
I am currently creating a marketplace mobile application from scratch and I'm using React Native for the front-end part and Firebase for the backend (using Firebase and Firestore).
I am wondering wether :
I should create a RESTful API using cloud functions and express to create API endpoints (that would connect to firebase and firestore) that I'd call from my redux actions in my React Native app (using redux thunk).
or, I should call firebase and firestore directly from redux actions.
I see couple pros and cons for each method.
Restful API pros :
Safer as I can check and manipulate submitted data more easily
Custom API reply (I can manipulate the return data)
Restful API cons :
Probably slower as I would have to call an API endpoint that will then call firebase and/or firestore.
Won't be as easy to set listeners on firestore data
What do you think about it ?
Which option should I choose knowing that I predict that the app will get a few thousand users daily. I want it to be as fast and safe as possible and be able to set listeners for notifications purposes.
In my opinion you should mix them, if you have to manage users, products or etc. Firebase produces client and admin sdk that has different roles. If you haven't need manage any data of products or users or etc. you can simply use client sdk.
My advise is you can use admin sdk on API (server-side) and feel free to use client sdk on your clients.
Use as managements on API, listening data, realtime chat etc. via client sdk.
You can check admin and client sdk. Also npm packages for React Native here.
Mixing will be of help, you can try:
Listen for small amounts of data using the client SDK
Write and sort data using the cloud functions
In my experience, writing to a firebase database that uses ordered ids (in my case) leads to some huge problems in the long run. I lost a good chunk of data when my app accidentally wrote to a root index instead of a child index when the app was resumed from inactivity because the android system cleared the RAM.
Also, for notification, use Firebase Cloud Messaging.
I am just start learning how to write fulfillment to read a data stored in the firebase as a first step.
Actually, I stored the same data in the firebase realtime database
and the firebase cloud database just to try from which one i must read my data, so I am just stuck how to retrieve it by the inline editor
My data is just a JSON object String names.
Note : form where i should start to learn Node.js for dialogflow fulfillment to do basic operation as storing and retrieving ?
You can use the firebase-admin library for node.js.
The inline editor is just Firebase Cloud Functions under the covers.
Your fulfillment code needs to run "somewhere" in the cloud - you'll need an HTTPS URL that you will provide, so this is called a "webhook". Firebase Cloud Functions are a convenient place to do this - they provide a HTTPS endpoint and good scalability, but you can run your fulfillment webhook anywhere on the public Internet.
Dialogflow provides an easy way to use Firebase Cloud Functions, by providing the inline code editor. This uses Firebase Cloud Functions to do the work, but hides the URL from you, so it is one fewer thing you need to deal with.
There are a number of good places to get started, but one is using Google's Codelabs for the Assistant make sure you also have looked at Google Docs for Actions on Google, which links to other resources as well.
I am new on firebase cloud functions. I would like to ask a question about always running or self-triggering functions. How can we handle these things? How can we implement always running functions or self-triggering?
Google Cloud Functions are snippets of code that run in response to events that happen somewhere else. Some example events:
a HTTPS URL is accessed, either from application code, or in some other way
a User account is created on Firebase Authentication
a node is written in the Firebase Realtime Database
a message is sent to a Cloud PubSub topic
There is no concept on a forever-running function on Cloud Functions (nor on other, similar Functions-as-a-Service offerings), although it's definitely possible to create a function that gets triggered every minute or so (like a cron job).
I am trying to maintain connection status of user with firestore . but i don't understand some points.
Link : https://firebase.google.com/docs/firestore/solutions/presence
i refer the above link description but i don't understand how to write code.
see the below given topics:
Using presence in Realtime Database
where to write this given code in application or Cloud functions?
2.Connecting to Cloud Firestore
Updating Cloud Firestore's local cache
where to write local cache update code?
I use this in my android application.
Each section of the code in the Build Presence in Cloud Firestore is marked.
If it is marked with WEB, you'll need to run this code in your web application. If your clients are native Android or iOS, you'll need to write and run similar code for those platforms.
If the code is marked with NODE.JS, you will need to run this code in a Node.js environment. It should be possible to accomplish the same in Cloud Functions, but no sample is provided for that.