FirebaseReSwift

A small library to make working with Firebase and ReSwift easier in iOS apps

1. Requirements
2. Usage

• FirebaseAccess
  • New object id
  • Create object
  • Update object
  • Remove object
• Authentication
  • Get user id
  • Log in user
  • Sign up user
  • Change user password
  • Change user email
  • Reset password
  • Log out user
  • Errors
  • Actions
    • User logged in
    • User authentication action
    • User auth failed
    • User identified
    • User logged out
• Subscribing
  • Subscribe to objects
  • Errors
  • Subscribing state
• Generic Actions
  • Object added
  • Object changed
  • Object removed
  • Object errored
  • Object subscribed
  • Action creator dispatched
  • Firebase data changed

3. Integration

• Carthage
• Swift Package Manager
• Git Submodules

Requirements

• iOS 9.0+
• Xcode 7.3+
• Swift 2.2+
• ReSwift
• Firebase

Usage

Import the module into any file where you need to reference FirebaseAccess, the Subscribing protocol, or one of the generic actions.

Import FirebaseReSwift

FirebaseAccess

This protocol along with its extension defines some core functionality with Firebase.

You will typically adopt this in a struct that might look like this:

struct FirebaseNetworkAccess: FirebaseAccess {
   static let sharedAccess: FirebaseAccess = FirebaseNetworkAccess()
   let ref: Firebase
   init() {
       Firebase.defaultConfig().persistenceEnabled = true // Only for offline access
       self.ref = Firebase(url: "https://your-app.firebaseio.com")
   }
}

New object ID

newObjectId() -> String?

Generates an automatic id for a new child object

Create object

createObject<T>(ref: Firebase, createNewChildId: Bool = false, parameters: MarshaledObject, state: T) -> (state: T, store: Store<T>) -> Action?

Writes a Firebase object with the parameters, overwriting any values at the specific location.

• Parameters:

  • ref: The Firebase reference to the object to be written. Usually constructed from the base ref using childByAppendingPath(_)
  • createNewChildId: A flag indicating whether a new child ID needs to be created before saving the new object.
  • parameters: A MarshaledObject ([String: AnyObject]) representing the object with all of its properties.
  • state: An object of type StateType which resolves the generic state type for the return value.

• returns: An ActionCreator ((state: StateType, store: StoreType) -> Action?) whose type matches the state parameter.

Update object

updateObject<T: StateType>(ref: Firebase, parameters: MarshaledObject, state: T) -> (state: T, store: Store<T>) -> Action?

Updates the Firebase object with the parameters, leaving all other values intact.

• Parameters:

  • ref: The Firebase reference to the object to be updated. Usually constructed from the base ref using childByAppendingPath(_)
  • parameters: A MarshaledObject ([String: AnyObject]) representing the fields to be updated with their values.
  • state: An object of type StateType which resolves the generic state type for the return value.

• returns: An ActionCreator ((state: StateType, store: StoreType) -> Action?) whose type matches the state parameter.

Remove object

removeObject<T>(ref: Firebase, state: T) -> (state: T, store: Store<T>) -> Action?

Removes a Firebase object at the given ref.

• Parameters:

  • ref: The Firebase reference to the object to be removed.
  • state: An object of type StateType which resolves the generic state type for the return value.

• returns: An ActionCreator ((state: StateType, store: StoreType) -> Action?) whose type matches the state parameter.

Authentication

An extension on FirebaseAccess provides access to common authentication functions.

Get user id

getUserId<T>(state: T) -> (state: T, store: Store<T>) -> Action?

Attempts to retrieve the user's authentication id. If successful, dispatches an action with the id (UserIdentified).

• Parameter state: An object of type StateType which resolves the generic state type for the return value.

• returns: An ActionCreator ((state: StateType, store: StoreType) -> Action?) whose type matches the state parameter.

Log in user

logInUser<T>(email: String, password: String, state: T) -> (state: T, store: Store<T>) -> Action?

Authenticates the user with email address and password. If successful, dispatches an action with the user’s id (UserLoggedIn), otherwise dispatches a failed action with an error (UserAuthFailed).

• Parameters:

  • email: The user’s email address
  • password: The user’s password
  • state: An object of type StateType which resolves the generic state type for the return value.

• returns: An ActionCreator ((state: StateType, store: StoreType) -> Action?) whose type matches the state parameter.

Sign up user

signUpUser<T>(email: String, password: String, state: T) -> (state: T, store: Store<T>) -> Action?

Creates a user with the email address and password. On success, an action is dispatched to log the user in.

• Parameters:

  • email: The user’s email address
  • password: The user’s password
  • state: An object of type StateType which resolves the generic state type for the return value.

• returns: An ActionCreator ((state: StateType, store: StoreType) -> Action?) whose type matches the state parameter.

Change user password

changeUserPassword<T>(email: String, oldPassword: String, newPassword: String, state: T) -> (state: T, store: Store<T>) -> Action?

Change a user’s password.

• Parameters:

  • email: The user’s email address
  • oldPassword: The previous password
  • newPassword: The new password for the user
  • state: An object of type StateType which resolves the generic state type for the return value.

• returns: An ActionCreator ((state: StateType, store: StoreType) -> Action?) whose type matches the state parameter.

Change user email

changeUserEmail<T>(email: String, password: String, newEmail: String, state: T) -> (state: T, store: Store<T>) -> Action?

Change a user’s email address.

• Parameters:

  • email: The user’s previous email address
  • password: The user’s password
  • newEmail: The new email address for the user
  • state: An object of type StateType which resolves the generic state type for the return value.

• returns: An ActionCreator ((state: StateType, store: StoreType) -> Action?) whose type matches the state parameter.

Reset password

resetPassword<T>(email: String, state: T) -> (state: T, store: Store<T>) -> Action?

Send the user a reset password email.

• Parameters:

  • email: The user’s email address
  • state: An object of type StateType which resolves the generic state type for the return value.

• returns: An ActionCreator ((state: StateType, store: StoreType) -> Action?) whose type matches the state parameter.

Log out user

logOutUser<T>(state: T) -> (state: T, store: Store<T>) -> Action?

Unauthenticates the current user and dispatches a UserLoggedOut action.

• Parameter state: An object of type StateType which resolves the generic state type for the return value.

• returns: An ActionCreator ((state: StateType, store: StoreType) -> Action?) whose type matches the state parameter.

Authentication errors

public enum FirebaseAuthenticationError: ErrorType {
    case LogInError(error: ErrorType)
    case SignUpError(error: ErrorType)
    case ChangePasswordError(error: ErrorType)
    case ChangeEmailError(error: ErrorType)
    case ResetPasswordError(error: ErrorType)
    case LogInMissingUserId
}

An error that occurred authenticating with Firebase.

• LogInError: The user could not log in
• SignUpError: The user could not sign up
• ChangePasswordError: The password for the user could not be changed
• ChangeEmailError: The email for the user could not be chagned
• ResetPasswordError: The password for the user could not be reset
• LogInMissingUserId: The auth payload contained no user id

Authentication actions

public enum FirebaseAuthenticationAction {
    case UserSignedUp(email: String, password: String)
    case PasswordChanged
    case EmailChanged
    case PasswordReset
}

An action type regarding user authentication

• UserSignedUp: The user successfully signed up
• PasswordChanged: The password for the user was successfully changed
• EmailChanged: The email for the user was successfully changed
• PasswordReset: The user was sent a reset password email

User logged in

UserLoggedIn: Action

Action indicating that the user has just successfully logged in with email and password.

• Parameter userId: The id of the user

User authentication action

UserAuthenticationAction: Action

General action regarding user authentication

• Parameter action: The authentication action that occurred

User auth failed

UserAuthFailed: Action

Action indicating that a failure occurred during authentication.

• Parameter error: The error that produced the failure

User identified

UserIdentified: Action

Action indicating that the user is properly authenticated.

• Parameter userId: The id of the authenticated user

User logged out

UserLoggedOut: Action

Action indicating that the user has been unauthenticated.

Subscribing

This protocol is adopted by a data object in order to receive updates of that from Firebase.

• Note: The object must also adopt Unmarshaling in order to parse JSON into an object of that type.

Subscribe to objects

subscribeToObjects<T: StateType, U: SubscribingState>(query: FQuery, subscribingState: U, state: T) -> (state: T, store: Store<T>) -> Action?

Calling this function results in the dispatching actions to the store for the following events that occur in Firebase matching the given query. The actions are generic actions scoped to the data object on which the function is called.

• Note: The ObjectErrored action can be called on any of those events if the resulting data does not exist, or cannot be parsed from JSON into the data object. It is likewise a generic action scoped to the data object.

• ChildAdded event: ObjectAdded action

• ChildChanged event: ObjectChanged action

• ChildRemoved event: ObjectRemoved action

• Parameters:

  • query: The Firebase query to which to subscribe. This is usually constructed from the base ref using childByAppendingPath(_) or other FQuery functions.
  • subscribingState: A state object that provides information on whether the object has already been subscribed to or not.
  • state: An object of type StateType which resolves the generic state type for the return value.

• returns: An ActionCreator ((state: StateType, store: StoreType) -> Action?) whose type matches the state parameter.

Subscribing errors

enum FirebaseSubscriptionError: ErrorType {
    case NoData(path: String)
    case MalformedData(path: String)
}

An error that occurred parsing data from a Firebase event.

• NoData: The snapshot for the event contained no data
• MalformedData: The data in the snapshot could not be parsed as JSON

Subscribing state

A protocol to be adopted by sub states that hold a flag indicating whether an object has been subscribed to in Firebase or not.

Generic Actions

These are actions that can be dispatched to your store that are generic and scoped to a data object that you associate. This allows them to be easily parsed in your reducers.

Object added

ObjectAdded<T>: Action

Generic action indicating that an object was added from Firebase and should be stored in the app state. The action is scoped to the object type that was added.

• Parameters:
  • T: The type of object that was added.
  • object: The actual object that was added.

Object changed

ObjectChanged<T>: Action

Generic action indicating that an object was changed in Firebase and should be modified in the app state. The action is scoped to the object type that was added.

• Parameters:
  • T: The type of object that was changed.
  • object: The actual object that was changed.

Object removed

ObjectRemoved<T>: Action

Generic action indicating that an object was removed from Firebase and should be removed in the app state. The action is scoped to the object type that was added.

• Parameters:
  • T: The type of object that was removed.
  • object: The actual object that was removed.

Object errored

ObjectErrored<T>: Action

Generic action indicating that an object has an error when parsing from a Firebase event. The action is scoped to the object type that was added.

• Parameters:
  • T: The type of object that produced the error
  • error: An optional error indicating the problem that occurred

Object subscribed

ObjectSubscribed<T>: Action

Generic action indicating that an object was subscribed to in Firebase. The action is scoped to whatever you need to track the subscription status.

• Parameters:
  • T: The type of state that can be subscribed or not
  • subscribed: Flag indicating subscription status

Action creator dispatched

ActionCreatorDispatched: Action

Placeholder action to indicate that an action creator was dispatched.

Usage: Return an action of this type instead of nil when dispatching an action creator.

• Parameter dispatchedIn: The name of the function where the dispatching occurred

Firebase data changed

FirebaseDataChanged: Action

Placeholder action to indicate that data was changed in Firebase.

Usage: Return an action of this type when nothing is being dispatched, but data has been changed in Firebase.

• Parameter changedIn: The name of the function where the change occurred

Integration

Carthage

Carthage is a decentralized dependency manager that builds your dependencies and provides you with binary frameworks.

You can install Carthage with Homebrew using the following command:

$ brew update
$ brew install carthage

To integrate FirebaseReSwift into your Xcode project using Carthage, specify it in your Cartfile:

github "benjaminsnorris/FirebaseReSwift" ~> 1.0

Run carthage update to build the framework and drag the built FirebaseReSwift.framework into your Xcode project.

Git Submodules

• If you don't already have a .xcworkspace for your project, create one. (Here's how)

• Open up Terminal, cd into your top-level project directory, and run the following command "if" your project is not initialized as a git repository:

$ git init

• Add FirebaseReSwift as a git submodule by running the following command:

$ git submodule add https://github.com/benjaminsnorris/FirebaseReSwift.git Vendor/FirebaseReSwift

• Open the new FirebaseReSwift folder, and drag the FirebaseReSwift.xcodeproj into the Project Navigator of your application's Xcode workspace.

  It should not be nested underneath your application's blue project icon. Whether it is above or below your application's project does not matter.

• Select FirebaseReSwift.xcodeproj in the Project Navigator and verify the deployment target matches that of your application target.

• Next, select your application project in the Project Navigator (blue project icon) to navigate to the target configuration window and select the application target under the "Targets" heading in the sidebar.

• In the tab bar at the top of that window, open the "General" panel.

• Click on the + button under the "Linked Frameworks and Libraries" section.

• Select FirebaseReSwift.framework inside the Workspace folder.

• Click on the + button under the "Embedded Binaries" section.

• Select FirebaseReSwift.framework nested inside your project.

• An extra copy of FirebaseReSwift.framework will show up in "Linked Frameworks and Libraries". Delete one of them (it doesn't matter which one).

• And that's it!