I need some clarifications.
I'm using Firebase realtime database.
Now I've to implement a realtime chat between two android devices. I need also push notifications.
So, the solution based on realtime database is to drop because if the app isn't running, it will not handle the onChildAdded event.
I read on the documentation that I can achieve my aim, using the upstream message from the device to the server.
Now, it's written also that we need an app server.
I just want to be clarified the need of the app server (XMPP or HTTP), and which is the entire flow of message m1 sent from the device A, and the notification on the device B.
In my opinion the app server should act as a man in the middle, so:
A ---> XMPP SERVER ---> FCM
FCM ---> XMPP SERVER ---> B
Is this the flow?
On the documentation I can't understand if I'm right or not.
If so, how do I send a message from the FCM back to the XMPP Server?
The notification message is sent from FCM to the client o from XMPP Server?
Please someone clarify me.
Other solution thought by me:
Since I find really powerful firebase realtime database, I thought these solution to walk around the problem:
Create an app server the is listening for onChildAdded and when it changes send a notification to client device.
Creating a background service on the client app listening to onChildAdded and create notification when necessary.
Even all, I don't like these solutions.
Just want to understand the standard and correct way to achieve my aim.
Firebaser and author of the article debated in the question comments here
To send messages to a device with Firebase Cloud Messaging, you need to specify your project's FCM Server Key. As its name suggests, this key should only be used in code that runs in a trusted environment: i.e. a server that you control.
To send device-to-device messages (such as in a 1:1 chat application where the receiving user is not necessarily online) you need two steps:
one user send an upstream message
the other user receives the downstream message
Using Firebase Cloud Messaging and your custom app server code, you can handle step 2. But that still leaves step 1: the user needs to send a message that somehow triggers your code on the app server. There are quite a few ways to do this.
For example you could implement an HTTP endpoint on your app server and have the chat application send the messages there too (in addition to sending to the database).
You could also implement an XMPP endpoint and have the chat application send the message there (again in addition to sending it to the database).
My article suggest yet another way, one that doesn't require implementing an endpoint at all. It uses a node.js script that runs on your app server and is essentially just a client to the database. Whenever this script detects a relevant chat message, it calls the FCM API and sends the downstream message.
This pattern of using the Firebase Database as your endpoint and then using server-side scripts is quite common when using Firebase. We documented it in our classic blog post Where does Firebase fit in your app? (as option 2) and in this article in the Google Cloud documentation.
Related
I have two version from my app one for the customer and one for the client I need to send push notification to the specific client(in client app) when the customer take an specific action (in customer app).
I know that I should use Firebase Cloud Messaging as it's a new replacement to GCM, but I can't figure out how I can do this in both server side and client side.
you have a lot of options here!
let's start with the server side:
you have two options HTTP or XMPP, HTTP is a one way connection XMPP is two way.
for your app you will need XMPP for upstream and down stream messages
check there Guides it's really great: Server guide
there is also a Java and Node.JS Admin SDKs but i don't know much about.
but there is a great Tutorial which describes the whole proccess if you go for Node.js
So what happens is:
when a device sends an upstream message
Firebase will forward it to your server
Your server should handle the message and send it to the other device through Firebase cloud messaging
you can implement a server-less app using real time databse but you will not receive message in background, but when the receiver app is running it listen to databse changes and send notification to user
you can also make a server listens to databse changes "instead of receiver" and take actions upon it"send a message to the other device"
Edit:
with the new cloud function feature you can now use it to send notifications to users based on database events,
so you can add your message to database in a class
and make a cloud function to listen to this class write events
and whenever a message saved to this class, it sends it to desired
receiver
so now you don't need an external server to send notifications to
devices
check this cloud function sample, it's an example of sending notifications based on database event.
I am having trouble understanding the specific meaning of "app server implemented in my own environment" as used in this documentation on how to send upstream messages to the "Cloud" using Firebase Cloud Messaging.
Context
The documentation is saying that for me to send upstream messages, I need my own app server that implements one of two connection server protocols in HTTP or XMPP.
The Reason why I am confused
My expectation is that if I use Firebase, I don't need to create my own server. All of the backend stuff is handled by them. So to me, when they say I need to create my own app server in my own environment, it is contrary to my expectation and understanding and thus makes me second guess the meaning.
What it is I am specifically confused and asking about
What exactly do they mean by app server?
What exactly do they mean by "in my own environment"?
Another way my two questions could be asked is:
Is an app server in this context meaning just a typical app server that I write on my own using something like Node.JS/Express.JS and host on something like Digital Ocean? and/or
Is it something I need to do with other Firebase/Google Cloud products (eg Hosting or App Engine)?
Or could my implementation of the RealTime Database feature on my app be considered an "App Server" as it serves my app with data.
What I have done so far
Reading through every single documentation on Firebase relating to Cloud Messaging and browsing around Google.
I have had a solid read of what questions to ask and what to avoid. I am mindful that this question could be something with lots of varying and all correct answers so apologies if that offends one of the rules. But I have come across this question on Meta which suggests that asking for clarification on documentation is OK for SO.
Is an app server in this context meaning just a typical app server that I write on my own using something like Node.JS/Express.JS and host on something like Digital Ocean?
Exactly.
Is it something I need to do with other Firebase/Google Cloud products (eg Hosting or App Engine)?
Depends on your use-case. But for Firebase Cloud Messaging, when all you need is to send Downstream Messages, you don't need an App Server. You can just make use of the Firebase Console. If you need to send Upstream Messages, then you have to implement your own App Server.
Or could my implementation of the RealTime Database feature on my app be considered an "App Server" as it serves my app with data?
Not exactly. The Firebase Realtime Database stores the data you need, but the App Server needed for FCM is something that can process requests (Send (Downstream and Receive (Upstream)).
App notifications are sent by Firebase Cloud Messaging server. To send these notifications you will have to tell to which device notifications have to be sent.
So you will have to send the FCM Client ID from your backend server (Node.js, PHP server). You will get the FCM client ID when you integrate Firebase into your app. You will have to store the FCM client ID in your backend server like during registration of a user.
To send a notification to a device retrieve the FCM Client id from your backend server and send it to the Firebase cloud messaging server and it will check if the client id is valid and trigger a notification.
I have set up push notification from Firebase console and I can send push notifications. However, I cannot send device-to-device notification yet. As I gather I would need an external app server that would observe Firebase nodes for change and then would fire off a notification via FCM.
I have seen similar question in SO here and a good but brief and not so complete explanation by Frank van Puffelen here. But I am still quite confused. Any tutorial or help as to how I can set up an app server (XMPP here) that would do the communication between client app instances and Firebase for sending notification when ChildAdded or modified and handling the key exchanges would be appreciated. (as I understand, FCM needs XMPP protocol for sending upstream notification)
Any help would be appreciated.
Following this tutorial.
Send Notifications from Server
What you can do is, setup an external server using your favorite technology to listen child_added or changed and respond to the notification requests.
We used the node.js app engine to handle this. Again the funda is to move people to use other cloud paid services.
Yours it's a good question... The firebase can't send push device-to-device, then if you want to do this one, needs a app server as you said. The other possibility that I thought for a long time is a create a independent service to do two things, the first one is constantly controls events as onChildAdded, for exemple and the second one, throws local notifications.
This is solution that i think works fine before to create a app server... At final if you try to do it, explain us your experience please! Greetings!
I am doing a prototype that involves messaging between clients.
What I want to do - from MyApp on device1, able to send message to MyApp on device2. Device2 should receive this and show a notification.
I don't have my own application server to push notifications from GCM to GCM clients.Is this possible ? How to do it ?
What I investigated - PubNub, which has a trial license that seems to answer my need to send messages on a channel without needing a server.
This discussion at SO didn't help much.
sending client to client messages without server interaction
Can anyone suggest better ways ?
You basically have to use a server in one way or another. I think Firebase would be perfect for your purposes. It has an Android plugin you can use that will basically alert your app when something changes in the database. Here is the documentation for that feature. Take a look at this example for implementation. Before you can use the plugin, you need to create an account and whatnot (basic one is free). Here are the instructions.
PubNub Realtime Messaging and Push Notifications
(server not required)
With PubNub, you do not need your own server to do the realtime messaging or the mobile push notifications. You likely have your own server for your database (MySQL or similar, traditional RDBMS, a No SQL DB like MongoDB, or a realtime DB sync, like Firebase) to authenticate users and such.
For realtime DB or non-DB type change notifications and signaling (any type of realtime messaging), PubNub makes is super simple to receive messages in realtime with a mobile push notification fallback in one publish action. So the GCM message will be sent along with the realtime message. If the app is actively running, you get it in realtime (< 1/4 on average - typically faster) and the GCM message will be received if the app is not active (background or not started at all).
And PubNub's free plan is not a trial (anymore). It is free (including all add-ons) for as long as you stay within the free plan limits.
See the PubNub Android docs for more details and contact PubNub support if you have any further questions with getting started or getting answers to any questions you have as you progress with your app implementation.
Another possibility is to use the SMS.
Android Send and Recieve Messages
"Send Binary (Data) SMS
We can send binary messages (as opposed to text based messages that we covered earlier) to specific application ports using sendDataMessage(). According to this Stack Exchange thread data sms is one which is sent over 2G/3G as well as GSM. I’ve tested it with mobile data turned off and it works fine charging me the same amount, so not very sure on whether it uses 2G/3G or not, but generally the term data is used in telephony when it’s related to network (tcp/ip). Anyway, SMS’s are generally sent to a specific port on the device (which is probably port 0 [zero]). But using sendDataMessage() we can send SMS’s to some other random port on which our app can listen for incoming SMSs and do something with that. In this case the default messaging app will not store the SMSs in their inbox for both the sender as well as the receiver.
"
I am creating a simple forum app for ANDROID using Parse. I am stuck at a problem related to notifications
For instance I want that when user A posts a comment in a forum app, user B (who subscribed to that post) will receive a push notification, can I do that using either client code, instead of handling it using Cloud Code, or the REST API? If not then how to I start developing the server side to use cloud code or REST API
Allowing users to send push notifications via the client is bad for security reasons. It's not incredibly difficult to get the application id and client key to an app. Anyone with that information will be able to create their own code that allows them to target whoever they want with push notifications if client push is enabled.