Flutter + Firebase Setup Tutorial | Easy Firebase Integration Guide Flutter

Summary

In this video, you'll learn a simple method to integrate Firebase with your Flutter application across iOS, Android, desktop, and web platforms. The tutorial starts with installing Node.js and the Firebase CLI tool, followed by setting up a Firebase project. You’ll then configure the Firebase CLI with Flutter using the FlutterFire CLI tool, install necessary dependencies, and test the setup on simulators. The video provides step-by-step guidance to ensure Firebase is properly integrated, with detailed instructions on handling potential errors and verifying the configuration for both Android and iOS.

Takeaways

• 🛠️ To integrate Firebase with a Flutter application, start by installing the Firebase CLI tool.
• 🌐 Visit nodejs.org to install the long-term stable version of Node.js, which is a prerequisite for Firebase CLI.
• 🔧 Use the terminal to verify the installation of Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager) by checking their versions.
• 🔄 Install Firebase CLI globally using npm with the command 'npm install -g firebase-tools'.
• 🔑 Authenticate with Firebase by logging in through the CLI to access and manage projects.
• 📝 Create a new Firebase project via the Firebase console and name it appropriately for your application.
• 🔄 Ensure the Firebase CLI tool is properly integrated by listing projects to confirm the new project's presence.
• 🔄 Use the 'flutterfire' CLI tool to link Firebase with your Flutter project, installed via 'pub global activate flutterfire'.
• 🔄 Configure the Firebase project with your Flutter app using the 'flutterfire configure' command.
• 📚 Add Firebase core package and any other desired Firebase service dependencies to your Flutter project's 'pubspec.yaml' file.
• 🚀 Initialize Firebase in your Flutter app's main function to set up and access Firebase services.
• 🔧 If you encounter a 'bindings not initialized' error in Flutter, use 'flutter run' with the '--enable-asserts' flag to fix it.
• 📱 Test your application on both Android and iOS simulators to ensure Firebase integration works across platforms.

Q & A

What is the primary topic of the video?

The video is about integrating Firebase with a Flutter application, covering steps for both iOS and Android platforms, and also applicable for desktop or web.

What is the first tool the video suggests installing for Firebase integration?

The first tool suggested is the Firebase CLI (Command Line Interface), which is installed after setting up Node.js on the system.

How can one verify that Node.js is correctly installed on their system?

One can verify Node.js installation by typing 'node --version' in the terminal, which should return a version number if installed correctly.

What does 'npm --version' command check for?

The 'npm --version' command checks for the version of Node Package Manager (npm) installed on the system.

What is the purpose of the Firebase CLI tool in the context of this video?

The Firebase CLI tool is used to configure Flutter projects to work with Firebase, allowing developers to manage their Firebase projects directly from the command line.

What command is used to install the Firebase CLI tools globally?

The command to install the Firebase CLI tools globally is 'npm install -g firebase-tools'.

Why is it necessary to restart Visual Studio Code after installing the Firebase CLI tools?

Restarting Visual Studio Code ensures that the newly installed CLI tools are properly recognized and available for use within the integrated terminal.

What is the purpose of the 'flutter fire' CLI tool mentioned in the video?

The 'flutter fire' CLI tool is used to link a Flutter project with Firebase, simplifying the process of configuring the project to work with Firebase services.

How does the 'flutter fire configure' command assist in the integration process?

The 'flutter fire configure' command helps in selecting the Firebase project and the platforms to support, automating the setup process including the configuration of 'info.plist' and 'GoogleService-Info.plist' files.

What is the first Firebase-related dependency that should be added to a Flutter project after setting up Firebase?

The first dependency to add is the Firebase core package, which is essential for any Firebase services used in the Flutter project.

What is the final step shown in the video to ensure Firebase is properly initialized in the Flutter application?

The final step is to initialize Firebase within the main function of the Flutter application by calling 'Firebase.initializeApp(options: DefaultFirebaseOptions.currentPlatform)' before running the app.

How can one fix the 'flutter error where bindings have not been initialized' error mentioned in the video?

To fix this error, one can stop the application, run 'flutter bindings ensure initialized' in the terminal, and then restart the application.

What does the video suggest importing at the top of the Flutter application after initializing Firebase?

The video suggests importing the Firebase analytics package at the top of the Flutter application for automatic setup and functionality.

How does the 'flutter fire' CLI tool update the Firebase project after linking it with a Flutter project?

The 'flutter fire' CLI tool creates platform-specific apps within the Firebase project for Android and iOS, and would do the same for desktop or web platforms if selected.

What is the final step for testing the Flutter application after Firebase integration?

The final step is to run the application on different simulators (like Android and iOS) to ensure that it works correctly across all intended platforms.

Outlines

00:00

🛠️ Setting Up Firebase CLI for Flutter Integration

The video begins with an introduction to integrating Firebase with a Flutter application, covering both iOS and Android platforms. The presenter guides viewers through the installation of the Firebase CLI tool, which is essential for configuring Flutter projects to work with Firebase. This involves visiting nodejs.org to install Node.js and then using the terminal to verify the installation by checking the versions of Node and npm (Node Package Manager). The next step is to install the Firebase CLI tools globally using npm. After ensuring that the CLI is installed and accessible, the presenter demonstrates how to log in to Firebase through the terminal, which opens a browser window for authentication and project access.

05:01

🔗 Linking Firebase with a Flutter Project

Following the successful installation of the Firebase CLI, the video proceeds to the creation of a Firebase project through the Firebase console. The presenter walks through the process of naming the project, opting for Google Analytics, and waiting for the project to be created. Once the project is ready, a sanity check is performed using the CLI to list the available projects, confirming the integration of the CLI with Firebase. The presenter then introduces 'flutterfire', a CLI tool for linking Flutter with Firebase, and demonstrates its installation. The actual linking process involves configuring the Flutter project with the selected Firebase project and choosing the platforms to support, such as Android and iOS. The setup process automates tasks like generating the 'Info.plist' and 'GoogleService-Info.plist' files and setting up the Firebase options.

10:02

📚 Adding Firebase Dependencies and Initializing Firebase in Flutter

With the project linked to Firebase, the video moves on to adding the necessary Firebase dependencies to the Flutter project. The presenter edits the 'pubspec.yaml' file to include the Firebase core package and Firebase analytics, then runs 'flutter pub get' to install these dependencies. The presenter ensures that the application builds without errors after the installation. The final steps involve initializing Firebase in the main function of the Flutter app by importing the Firebase core and options packages, and calling 'Firebase.initializeApp' with the default options before running the app. The video addresses a potential error related to uninitialized bindings and provides a solution. Lastly, the presenter demonstrates running the application successfully on both Android and iOS simulators, showcasing the completed integration of Firebase with a Flutter application.

🎉 Conclusion and Next Steps

The video concludes with a summary of the steps taken to integrate Firebase with a Flutter application and a demonstration that the application runs correctly on iOS. The presenter reminds viewers to check the description for links to resources used in the tutorial and encourages them to like, subscribe, and comment with any questions or feedback. The video ends with a friendly sign-off, promising to see the audience in the next tutorial.

Keywords

💡Firebase

Firebase is a platform developed by Google for creating mobile and web applications. It provides various services such as analytics, authentication, databases, configuration, file storage, and more. In the video, Firebase is integrated with a Flutter application to enable backend functionalities like user authentication and data storage.

💡Flutter

Flutter is an open-source UI software development kit created by Google. It is used to develop applications for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, and the web from a single codebase. The video focuses on integrating Firebase with a Flutter application, highlighting the cross-platform capabilities of Flutter.

💡CLI Tool

CLI Tool, or Command Line Interface Tool, is a text-based interface used to run programs, manage computer files, and interact with the computer. In the video, the Firebase CLI Tool is installed and used to configure the Flutter project to work with Firebase.

💡Node.js

Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment that executes JavaScript code outside a web browser. It is necessary to install Node.js to use the npm (Node Package Manager) for installing the Firebase CLI tools, as shown in the video.

💡npm

npm stands for Node Package Manager. It is a package manager for the JavaScript programming language, used for installing and managing software packages. In the video, npm is used to install the Firebase CLI tools globally on the system.

💡Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is a source-code editor made by Microsoft for Windows, Linux, and macOS. It includes support for debugging, embedded Git control, syntax highlighting, intelligent code completion, snippets, and code refactoring. In the video, it is recommended to restart Visual Studio Code after installing the Firebase CLI tools to ensure they are properly integrated.

💡Firebase Project

A Firebase Project is a container for various Firebase services, data, and configuration. It includes settings and configurations for analytics, authentication, databases, etc. In the video, a new Firebase project is created and named 'flutter Firebase tutorial' to demonstrate the integration process.

💡FlutterFire

FlutterFire is a set of Flutter plugins that enable Flutter apps to use Firebase services. The video shows the installation and configuration of the FlutterFire CLI to link the Flutter app with the Firebase project, facilitating the integration of Firebase services into the Flutter application.

💡Pubspec.yaml

pubspec.yaml is a file that contains metadata about the Flutter project, including its dependencies. The video demonstrates adding Firebase core and Firebase analytics dependencies to this file to enable Firebase functionalities in the Flutter app.

💡Firebase Initialization

Firebase Initialization is the process of setting up and configuring Firebase in a project to make its services available for use. In the video, this involves importing necessary packages, configuring options, and initializing Firebase in the main function of the Flutter app.

Highlights

The video demonstrates a simple method to integrate Firebase with a Flutter application.

The integration process covers both iOS and Android platforms.

Steps provided are applicable for desktop and web applications as well.

Installation of Firebase CLI tool is the first step in the integration process.

Node.js installation from nodejs.org is required for Firebase CLI.

Terminal commands are provided to verify Node.js and npm installation.

Firebase CLI tools are installed globally using npm.

A demonstration of logging into Firebase using the CLI tool.

Creating a new Firebase project through the Firebase console.

Verification of Firebase CLI integration with a project list command.

Introduction of flutterfire CLI tool for linking Flutter with Firebase.

Installation of flutterfire CLI using pub global activate.

Configuration of Firebase project with the flutterfire CLI.

Automatic setup of platform-specific files by flutterfire CLI.

Inclusion of Firebase core package and other dependencies in the pubspec.yaml file.

Initialization of Firebase in the main function of the Flutter app.

Fixing the 'bindings not initialized' error with flutter bindings ensure initialized.

Importing Firebase analytics package for automatic functionality.

Demonstration of Firebase project configuration in the Firebase console after using flutterfire CLI.

Testing the application on both Android and iOS simulators.

Encouragement for viewers to like, subscribe, and engage with the content.

Transcripts

hello everybody in today's video I'm

going to be showing you a super simple

way in which you can integrate Firebase

with your flutter application we're

going to be taking a look at how to

integrate Firebase with both IOS and

Android and the steps that I'm going to

be showing you will also help you in

integrating Firebase with your flutter

application in the case that you're

building for either desktop or web so

with that said let's get into the video

so to get started the first thing that

we're going to be doing is installing

the Firebase CLI tool within our system

so that we have actually access to it

and we can use it to basically configure

our flutter projects directly to work

with Firebase so to do that what I'll

recommend is that firstly you come to a

website called nodejs.org and then from

here you can install the long-term

stable version for nodejs whatever that

may be for you and once you're done with

that then what you can do is actually

come onto your terminal in the case of

Windows this is going to be partial and

here I'm just going to increase the size

for you guys so that it's easier for you

guys to actually see what's going on and

I'm going to basically type node--

version and if you get an output that

basically means that node is now

correctly installed on your system and

then you can do npm dash dash version as

well which stands for node package

manager and if you get outputs for these

then you're good to go from here the

next thing that we're going to be doing

is actually installing the Firebase CLI

tools so for that what you can do is

type in npm then after this installed

ash- G for the global flag and then from

there you're going to do firebase-tools

once this is done you can press enter

and this is going to go ahead and

install the CLI tools for you so now

that node is properly installed on our

system and we have access to the

Firebase CLI tools what we can actually

do is close down terminal and I'll

recommend that you restart your Visual

Studio code instance as well and then

open up a terminal window within that

making sure that you're within the

directory that contains the source code

for your flutter application and then

after this the first thing that I'm

going to be doing is just

Firebase log in and then it's going to

basically open up a web browser window

for you where you can actually

authenticate with Firebase and then make

the CLI actually have access to the

Firebase account and actually take a

look at all of the projects that you

have within Firebase we're going to get

an output saying success you're logged

in successfully now so you can clear the

terminal window and this command is

going to be the same whether for Windows

or Mac OS and you can move on to the

next step so for the next step what I

recommend doing is actually going to

Firebase logging into the appropriate

account with which you logged in through

the CLI as well and then going to create

a project clicking on it and giving your

project a name so in this case I'm going

to call it flutter Firebase

tutorial um I could have named it

something cheesy like subscribe but you

all know the gist so subscribe if you

haven't um then I'm going to say unable

Google analytics for this um an account

for this just do default account then

create the project and wait for the

project to be created and once the

project is created then I'll resume the

video Welcome Back everybody so now that

our Firebase project has been created

I'm going to click on continue and and

after this it's going to basically take

me into the actual Firebase console

where I can manage my project and I'm

just going to dog this window to the

side so the next thing that now I'm

going to be doing is just performing a

quick sanity Tech to make sure that my

Firebase CLI tool has been integrated

properly so for that I'll just do

Firebase projects and then colon list

and make sure that the output I get

corresponds to whatever projects I have

within Firebase since I only had one I'm

just getting one output so this

basically means that our Firebase CLI

tools are now properly installed

integrated and we actually have a

project created within Firebase then now

we're going to be linking with flutter

so to do the actual linking process

within flutter and Firebase we're going

to be using a CLI tool called flutter

fire and we're going to be installing it

by doing the command. pub

Global activate I believe and then I'm

going to say flutter un fire uncore CLI

like so and press enter and this is

going to go ahead and install the

flutter fire CLI for me once this is

going to finish with that it's execution

it's going to let me know that it

installed flutter fire and it's

activated it as well so now that we have

the flutter fire CLI ready to go what

I'm going to be doing is making sure

that my current working directory for

the terminal is the same place where I

have all of the code for my flutter

project and here what I'm going to be

doing is typing in flutter fire and then

configure like so and then pressing

enter and what this is basically going

to do is now it's firstly going to

interact with the Firebase CLI it's

going to get all of the projects for me

now I can use the arrow keys to actually

go between the options that I have

available here to select whatever

Firebase project I want to link with my

flutter app so in this case I'm going to

be doing the first one which is this you

can use the arrow keys to go between

this then using the same methodology of

using the arrow keys it's going to ask

me which platforms do I want to support

in my case I'll just restrict it to

Android or iOS so to select or deselect

them you can use the space bar and use

the arrow keys to move up and down so

I'll keep Android and iOS checked I'll

uncheck Mac OS and the web and then to

proceed press enter once this is done

it's going to basically go ahead do all

of the setup process foru this includes

the tedious process of getting the info.

pist files configuring them properly

setting up the Firebase options files

and everything like that and at the end

you will have a project that is

completely configured properly set up so

that all you have to do is drop in the

dependencies for Firebase for whatever

plugins you want to use and then you are

on your way so now that this is done at

the end it's going to ask you a bunch of

options just reply yes to all of them um

and then it's going to give you an

output saying that now the Firebase

configuration file was generated

successfully here it is it contains all

of the information that you need and

we'll fix there in just a bit so with

this I'll clear the terminal and now I

have the actual app configured properly

the last thing that we need to do is

include the dependencies for Firebase

that we want to use within our project

so regardless of whatever actual

products you use from the services that

Firebase offers there's always one

plugin that you need to include if

you're using Firebase and that is the

Firebase core package as a side note

links to all of the resources that I use

in this video are down in the

description below so feel free to take a

look at them if you're confused at any

point so I'm going to come to my pbsp

back. yaml I'm going to come to the

dependency section and then I'm going to

add the Firebase core dependency here

like so and besides this I want to add

Firebase analytics as well so I'll

basically copy the depend for Firebase

analytics and paste it under Firebase

core as well and then I'll do command

save with this done I'll let flutter PP

get do its magic and install the actual

dependencies and you're going to notice

that now the error that we were getting

for Firebase options is fixed and it's

no longer giving us that error so now

that the actual dependencies have been

installed what I can do is actually give

my application a test run before I do

anything else and make sure that it

builds properly welcome back everybody

so now that the application is actually

running on the simulator properly I know

that the actual dependencies were

installed properly and they're not

causing any kind of conflicts so the

last thing we need to do is before we

actually start running our application

is to initialize Firebase so that our

application has access to it so to do

that what I'll do is that within my main

function I'll mark it as asynchronous

and then after this I'm going to go

ahead and import two packages which is

the Firebase core and then the Firebase

options file and then after this what

I'm going to be doing is basically in my

main function before I called run app to

Firebase do initialize app and then here

I'm going to give it a options parameter

to be the Firebase options file so just

do

default Firebase options and then I'm

going to do do current platform um and

then add a semicolon at the end to

command save and I'm also going to mark

this as an evade call so that we wait

for the app to initialize before we

actually run the app then I'm going to

restart my application and if you get an

error which says flutter error where

bindings have not been initialized well

an easy way to fix this is just to stop

running your application and then do

flutter bindings or widget flutter

bindings do ensure initialized like so

and then if you do this then it should

pretty much fix the error for you so do

command save and start running your

application again and hopefully this

time we shouldn't get the actual

bindings error welcome back everybody so

now you can see that we were able to

successfully initialize our application

and then initialize Firebase and then

run it so everything's working as

intended so the last thing that I'm

going to be doing is at the very top of

my actual application I'm going to go

ahead and import the Firebase analytics

package as well and I believe we have

nothing else to do besides just

importing the package and it does

everything by itself so once this is

done I'm going to basically stop running

my application I'm going to start

debugging it again and while this

happens I'm going to go to Firebase and

I am going to show you guys that what

the actual uh flutter fire CLI did so

remember that when we actually created

our Firebase project we had it as empty

and there were no actual platforms that

were connected to it but now if I reload

the same flyer based project you are

going to be seeing that the flutter fire

CLI actually created a Android app for

us a IOS app for us and in the case that

we were actually creating a desktop

application or a web-based application

that it would have created those apps as

well within our Firebase project so with

this done we know that everything is

working the last thing that I'm going to

be doing is making sure that this app

works for IOS as well

so for that I'll just shut down my

Android simulator I'll open up a iOS

simulator and then I'll start debugging

the application for it welcome back

everybody so as you can see the

application is cing correctly on iOS as

well so that basically means that there

is nothing else for us to do besides

celebrate and that's pretty much it for

the tutorial as well so if you enjoyed

the tutorial then please don't forget to

leave a like on the video as well as

subscribe to my channel so that you get

notified every time I upload a new video

if you have any question comments or

concerns leave them down in the comments

below and I'll try my best to answer

them for you and as always stay happy

stay healthy keep learning keep growing

and I'll see you guys in the next video

bye-bye