FireDroid

FireDroid is an architectural framework for Android apps that use Firebase services. The framework takes on the burden of integrating Firebase services to your app and helps you avoid boilerplate code.

Table of contents

• Getting started
• Authentication
• Realtime database

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Getting started

Step 1. Add the framework dependency compile 'com.github.ugurcany:FireDroid:X.Y' to your app level build.gradle file

• To replace X.Y with the latest release version, see the JitPack badge at the top

Step 2. Add apply plugin: 'com.google.gms.google-services' at the end of your app level build.gradle file

Step 3. Add the dependency classpath 'com.google.gms:google-services:3.1.1' to your project level build.gradle file

Step 4. Put the google-services.json file (provided by Firebase) under your app module directory

Step 5. Initialize the framework inside your app's onCreate() method as follows:

FireDroid.init(getApplicationContext());

Step 6. Make sure that each Activity class in your app extends the FireDroidActivity class provided by the framework

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Authentication

Setup

Initialize auth service together with the auth methods that you want to use inside your app's onCreate() method as follows:

FireDroid.authInitializer()
		.google(getString(R.string.google_web_client_id)) //OPTIONAL
		.facebook(getString(R.string.facebook_app_id)) //OPTIONAL
		.twitter(getString(R.string.twitter_key), getString(R.string.twitter_secret)) //OPTIONAL
		.init();

• Keys/ids required by auth SDKs of Google, Facebook, and Twitter are obtained from their respective dev websites. To obtain yours, follow the links below:

  • For Google web client id, go to: https://console.developers.google.com/apis/credentials
  • For Facebook app id, go to: https://developers.facebook.com
  • For Twitter consumer key and consumer secret, go to: https://apps.twitter.com

• If you want to use Google login, you need to add your app's SHA-1 fingerprint to the Firebase dashboard of your app.

• If you want to use Facebook or Twitter login, you need to add your app's Firebase OAuth redirect URI (that can be found on Firebase dashboard) to your app's dashboard page on Facebook/Twitter dev website.

• You also need to enable corresponding login methods on your app's Firebase dashboard.

How to perform login

1. Have your login activity (the activity that has login buttons, etc.) implement the LoginListener interface

   • This will add two methods to the activity: onLoginStarted() and onLoginCompleted(isSuccessful). It is obvious when these methods are triggered :)
   • You can do whatever you want inside these methods. What is recommended is blocking UI (showing dialog, etc.) when login is started; unblocking UI and finishing login activity when login is completed.

2. Add your login button(s) to the layout of login activity

   • On Google login button click, you simply call: FireDroid.auth().logInWithGoogle();
   • On Facebook login button click, you simply call: FireDroid.auth().logInWithFacebook();
   • On Twitter login button click, you simply call: FireDroid.auth().logInWithTwitter();

How to perform logout

1. Have your logout activity (the activity that has logout button, etc.) implement the LogoutListener interface

   • This will add two methods to the activity: onLogoutStarted() and onLogoutCompleted(). It is obvious when these methods are triggered :)

2. Add your logout button to the layout of logout activity

   • On logout button click, you simply call: FireDroid.auth().logOut();

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Realtime database

Setup

Initialize realtime database service inside your app's onCreate() method as follows:

FireDroid.dbInitializer()
		.diskPersistence(isEnabled)
		.init();

• To enable or disable the persistence of cached data and pending write operations in disk (not only in memory), simply add the diskPersistence(isEnabled) call to the init chain.

How to perform simple database operations

Before performing simple database operations, have your activity implement the DbOperationListener interface. This will add two methods to the activity: onDbOperationSuccessful(operationId, data) and onDbOperationFailed(operationId, exception). One of them is triggered, depending on the result of the operation that you execute.

Simple database operations are as follows:

• To write data to a path, you simply call:

FireDroid.db().writeTo(operationId, "path/to/data", dbObject);

• To push data under a path, you simply call:

FireDroid.db().pushUnder(operationId, "path/to/data-list", dbObject);

• To read data from a path, you simply call:

FireDroid.db().readFrom(operationId, "path/to/data", DbObject.class);

How to subscribe to data changes

Before subscribing to data changes on a path, have your activity implement the DataChangeListener interface. This will add two methods to the activity: onDataChanged(data) and onSubscriptionFailed(exception). Each time there is a change in the data, the former method is triggered.

• To subscribe to data changes on a path, you simply call:

FireDroid.db().subscribeToDataChange("path/to/data", DbObject.class);

• To unsubscribe from data changes on a path, you simply call:

FireDroid.db().unsubscribeFromDataChange("path/to/data");

How to subscribe to child data changes

Before subscribing to child data changes under a path, have your activity implement the ChildDataChangeListener interface. This will add five methods to the activity: onChildDataAdded(key, data), onChildDataChanged(key, data), onChildDataMoved(key, data), onChildDataAdded(key, data), and onSubscriptionFailed(exception). Each time there is an activity under the path, the corresponding method is triggered.

• To subscribe to child data changes under a path, you simply call:

FireDroid.db().subscribeToChildDataChange("path/to/data-list", DbObject.class, 
		/* OPTIONAL */
		new SubscriptionConfig.Builder()
			.limitTo(limitType, limit) //LimitType = FIRST, LAST
			.orderBy(orderType) //OrderType = KEY, VALUE, CHILD (set "orderByChildKey" param for CHILD type)
			.build());

• To unsubscribe from child data changes under a path, you simply call:

FireDroid.db().unsubscribeFromChildDataChange("path/to/data-list");

About FireDbObject

You can have the class of the data object (that you want to write to database) extend the FireDbObject class in order to add timestamp field besides the fields inside your object.

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More coming soon...