Building a successful Kids Book App using Firebase

In this presentation, Rebecca Franks takes a look at why Firebase was a key aspect to Book Dash Apps success. She gives an introduction to Firebase, and how she is using it within the Book Dash App.

Find Rebecca on Twitter - https://twitter.com/riggaroo

Transcript

1. Building a “successful” Kids
   Book App using Firebase
   Rebecca Franks - March 2017
   

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2. Hello
   Rebecca Franks
   Android Engineering Lead at DVT
   Google Developer Expert for
   Android and IoT
   @riggaroo
   https://riggaroo.co.za
   

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3. What app am I talking about?
   

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4. Book Dash
   

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6. Book Dash - Features
   - View books in different languages
   - View a book’s information
   - Download & read book
   - Manage downloads
   - Send App invites
   

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7. Book Dash
   https://github.com/bookdash/bookdash-android-app
   - Free
   - Open Source
   - Over 200 Books
   

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8. 4.42
   Correct as of 25 March 2017
   214 reviews
   

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9. 30,800 Total installs
   10,200 Active installs
   Correct as of 25 March 2017
   

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10. What made this app successful?
    

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11. “successful”
    

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12. Technically successful!
    - getting more users
    - easy enough to develop
    - getting good ratings
    

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13. Material Design
    

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14. Simple design with
    simple functionality
    that works.
    

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15. Beautiful illustrations
    and unique
    African content.
    

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17. What is Firebase?
    

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19. Cross-platform
    

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20. Integrated
    

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21. How did I use Firebase?
    

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22. Which Firebase features did I use?
    

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23. Book Dash Architecture
    

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24. Book Dash Architecture
    

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25. Firebase Realtime Database
    • Cloud-hosted NoSQL database
    • Synchronization & conflict
    resolution
    • Access directly from your app
    

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28. Realtime Database - Admin Portal Upload
    function addNewBook(bookName, description, downloadUrl) {

    var bookEntry = {

    bookTitle: bookName,

    bookDescription: description,

    bookUrl: downloadUrl

    };

    var newBookKey = firebase.database().ref().child(‘bd_books').push().key;

    return firebase.database().ref(‘bd_books/' + newBookKey).set(bookEntry);

    }
    

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30. Realtime Database - Android App Read Data
    DatabaseReference dbRef = firebaseDatabase.getReference(“bd_books");

    dbRef.addValueEventListener(new ValueEventListener() {

    @Override

    public void onDataChange(final DataSnapshot dataSnapshot) {

    for (DataSnapshot snap : dataSnapshot.getChildren()) {

    Book bookDetails = snap.getValue(Book.class);

    //..

    }

    }

    //..

    });
    

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31. Firebase Storage
    • Easy file storage
    • Handles poor
    connectivity
    • Backed by & accessible
    from Google Cloud
    Storage
    

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33. Storage - Android App Download
    StorageReference storageRef = storage.getReference().child("books/a-good-
    book.zip");
    File localFile = File.createTempFile("books", "zip");
    storageRef.getFile(localFile).addOnSuccessListener(new
    OnSuccessListener() {
    @Override
    public void onSuccess(FileDownloadTask.TaskSnapshot taskSnapshot) {
    // Local temp file has been created
    }
    });
    

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34. Firebase Hosting
    • Serve static assets
    • SSL by default
    • Custom domains
    

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35. Hosting
    npm install -g firebase-tools //installs cli tools

    

    firebase login //will prompt you to login & configure project

    

    firebase deploy //deploys all files to hosting
    

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37. Firebase Notifications
    • Simple UI, with no coding
    • Built on Cloud
    Messaging
    • Audience targeting
    • Conversion funnel
    insights
    

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38. Notifications
    If Firebase SDK is set up - all you need is:
    compile 'com.google.firebase:firebase-messaging:10.2.0'

    

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42. Firebase Analytics
    • Designed for apps
    • Event and user centric
    • Connects across Firebase
    

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43. Firebase Analytics - Custom Events
    public void trackDownloadBookStarted(Book book) {
    Bundle bundle = new Bundle();
    bundle.putString("book_name", book.getBookTitle());
    bundle.putString("book_id", book.getId());
    FirebaseAnalytics.getInstance(context)
    .logEvent("download_book_started", bundle);
    }
    

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45. Google
    Data Studio
    Export Firebase Analytics events into
    Big Query
    

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47. Quirks to keep in mind
    - Firebase only free up to a certain point
    - Ability to filter data is difficult
    - Structuring your data is important
    - Duplicating data is OKAY
    - Requires Google Play Services dependency (Android)
    

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48. In Summary - Why I Firebase?
    - Awesome easy to use tools - all in one
    - Super simple to rapidly prototype ideas
    - Cost effective
    - Firebase handles the scaling and infrastructure
    - Constant improvements and updates
    - Great online community with active support from Firebase Team
    

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49. In Summary
    Material Design + Firebase + Good App
    Idea = A technically successful app!
    

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50. Questions Rebecca Franks
    @riggaroo
    https://riggaroo.co.za
    

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51. Links
    - https://riggaroo.co.za
    - https://github.com/bookdash/bookdash-android-app
    - https://material.io/
    - https://firebase.google.com
    - https://www.google.com/analytics/data-studio/
    

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