NativeScript Firebase plugin
Google's realtime app platform (Database, Authentication, Configuration, Notifications) firebase.google.com
Requires NativeScript 2.3.0 or up. So npm install -g nativescript
like a boss if you need to!
Features
For readability the supported features have been moved to their own README's:
Prerequisites
Head on over to https://console.firebase.google.com/ and sign up for a free account.
Your first 'Firebase' will be automatically created and made available via an URL like https://n-plugin-test.firebaseio.com
.
Open your Firebase project at the Google console and click 'Add app' to add an iOS and / or Android app. Follow the steps (make sure the bundle id is the same as your nativescript.id
in package.json
and you'll be able to download:
-
iOS: GoogleService-Info.plist
which you'll add to your NativeScript project at app/App_Resources/iOS/GoogleService-Info.plist
-
Android: google-services.json
which you'll add to your NativeScript project at platforms/android/google-services.json
Installation
If you rather watch a video explaining the steps then check out this step-by-step guide - you'll also learn how to
add iOS and Android support to the Firebase console and how to integrate anonymous authentication:
From the command prompt go to your app's root folder and execute:
tns plugin add nativescript-plugin-firebase
This will guide you through installing additional components. Check the doc links above to see what's what. You can always change your choices later.
Do yourself a favor by adding TypeScript support to your nativeScript app:
tns install typescript
Then open references.d.ts
in the root of your project and add this line to get autocompletion and type-checking for this plugin:
/// <reference path="./node_modules/nativescript-plugin-firebase/firebase.d.ts" />
iOS
Looking to automate this step, but for now, to build with Xcode 8 (iOS 10 SDK), you need to open the Xcode project via the platforms/ios/appname.xcworkspace/ file - then select your app's target, capabilities, enable 'Keychain sharing'.
Android
Install packages 'Google Play Services' and 'Google Repository' in your Android SDK Manager
Open platforms/android/build.gradle
We're trying to automate these steps, but for now:
- Near the top there's a dependencies section, add
classpath "com.google.gms:google-services:3.0.0"
so it becomes something like:
dependencies {
classpath "com.android.tools.build:gradle:X.X.X"
classpath "com.google.gms:google-services:3.0.0"
}
- Add the very bottom of the same file add
apply plugin: "com.google.gms.google-services"
Usage
If you want a quickstart, clone our demo app.
Start-up wiring
We need to do some wiring when your app starts, so open app.js
and add this before application.start();
:
JavaScript
var firebase = require("nativescript-plugin-firebase");
firebase.init({
}).then(
function (instance) {
console.log("firebase.init done");
},
function (error) {
console.log("firebase.init error: " + error);
}
);
TypeScript
import firebase = require("nativescript-plugin-firebase");
firebase.init({
}).then(
(instance) => {
console.log("firebase.init done");
},
(error) => {
console.log("firebase.init error: " + error);
}
);
Known issues on iOS
Authentication failed: invalid_token
On the simulator you may see this message if you have more than one app with the Firebase SDK ever installed:
[FirebaseDatabase] Authentication failed: invalid_token (Invalid claim 'aud' in auth token.)
or
[FirebaseDatabase] Authentication failed: invalid_token (audience was project 'firegroceries-904d0' but should have been project 'your-firebase-project')
This is a known issue in the Firebase SDK.
I always use a real device to avoid this problem, but you can pass an 'iOSEmulatorFlush' option to init.
firebase.init({
// Optionally pass in properties for database, authentication and cloud messaging,
// see their respective docs and 'iOSEmulatorFlush' to flush token before init.
iOSEmulatorFlush: true
}).then()
Pod dependency error
If you see an error like Unable to satisfy the following requirements: Firebase (~> 3.3.0) required by Podfile
,
then check issue 98 which perfectly explains how to update your local Pod spec repo, or first try
to tns platform remove ios && tns platform add ios
.
Known issues on Android
Genymotion
You can use the awesome Genymotion emulator
but you'll need to install Google Play Services on it or you'll run into errors during authentication.
DexIndexOverflowException
com.android.dex.DexIndexOverflowException: method ID not in..
Congrats, you ran into this issue
which can be solved by adding multiDexEnabled true
to your app/App_Resources/Android/app.gradle
so it becomes something like this:
android {
defaultConfig {
applicationId = "__PACKAGE__"
multiDexEnabled true
generatedDensities = []
}
aaptOptions {
additionalParameters "--no-version-vectors"
}
}
java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: GC overhead limit exceeded
Increase the Java Max Heap Size like this (the bit at the end):
android {
defaultConfig {
applicationId = "__PACKAGE__"
multiDexEnabled true
generatedDensities = []
}
aaptOptions {
additionalParameters "--no-version-vectors"
}
dexOptions {
javaMaxHeapSize "4g"
}
}
FirebaseApp with name [DEFAULT] doesn't exist
Another possible error is "FirebaseApp with name [DEFAULT] doesn't exist." which will be solved by
placing google-services.json
to platforms/android/google-services.json
(see above), and making
the changes to build.gradle
which are mentioned above as well.
Could not find com.google...
And there's this one: "Could not find com.google.firebase:firebase-auth:9.4.0". That means
making sure you have the latest Google Repository bits installed.
Just run android
from a command prompt and install any pending updates.
Also, an error like "Could not find com.google.firebase:firebase-core:9.0.0" can be caused by having
more than one version of the Android SDK installed. Make sure ANDROID_HOME is set to the Android SDK directory
that is being updated otherwise it will seem as though your updates have no effect.
Found play-services:9.0.0, but version 9.0.2 is needed..
Update your Android bits like the issue above and reinstall the android platform in your project.
Credits
The starting point for this plugin was this great Gist by John Bristowe.