Node package for firebase based chat application

The purpose of this node package is to quickly implement one to one text & video chat, group text chat using firebase realtime database as a backend infrastructure. You have to subscribe for your own firebase setup. Currently this package supports one to one and group chat with text and file messages, also supports user online status, typing status (for one to one chat) and other important features.

This is the first beta release, please use with caution.

If you were using 1.0.0 or 1.0.1 version of this package, before updating you need to clear firebase database.

Prerequisite (For both text based and video chat)

1. Create Ionic project

   ionic start myApp blank

2. Create Firebase Account

   To create firebase setup follow the below steps:

   • Go to https://console.firebase.google.com
   • Select "Add Project" and provide a name to your project
   • Click on "Add Firebase to your web app" Option. This will show the firebase connection details.
   • Copy the required credentials. It is required while initializing your app.
   • You can change the security rules of your database. To know more about it, click here

Step 1: Install plugin to your Ionic project (currently ionic framework 3 is supported)

npm i --save juegostudio-firebase-chat-plugin

Step 2: Import the Statement in your Ionic project

import * as FirebaseChat  from 'juegostudio-firebase-chat-plugin';

Step 3: Initialize your app

• Use those credentials which you copied while creating the firebase account.

  const firebaseConfig = {
    apiKey: "xxxxxx",
    authDomain: "xxxxxxx.firebaseapp.com",
    databaseURL: "https://xxxxxxx.firebaseio.com",
    projectId: "xxxxxxx",
    storageBucket: "xxxxxxx.appspot.com",
    messagingSenderId: "XXXXXXXXXXX"
  };

• Create a instance

  var app = new FirebaseChat(firebaseConfig); 

Step 4: Initialize chat

This method will create new user if user doesn't exist, else it will return existing user details. After initialization you'll be able use chat methods mentioned below.

app.initChat(userID, displayName, displayPic /*optional*/)
.then(user=>{
  console.log(user);// return user object
})
.catch(err=> console.log(err));

Step 5: Sending message

app.sendMessage(otherUserId/groupID, message, channelType, messageType /*optional*/, fileKey /*optional*/)
.then(res => {
  console.log(res);
})
.catch(err => console.log(err));

Step 6: Listing Recent Chat List

app.getChannelList()
.then(channelList => {
  console.log(channelList);
})
.catch(err=> console.log(err));

Step 7: Listing & Listening to new Messages

app.getMessageList(otherUserId/groupID, channelType)
.subscribe(message => {
    console.log(message);
  }, 
  err => console.log(err));

Video Chat

This package uses WebRTC APIs for video chat. Only one to one video chat is supported. WebRTC uses RTCPeerConnection to communicate streaming data between browsers, but also needs a mechanism to coordinate communication and to send control messages, a process known as signaling. In this package we have implemented Signaling methods using Firebase real time database.

Step 1: Install plugin to your Ionic project (currently ionic framework 3 is supported)

npm i --save juegostudio-firebase-chat-plugin

Step 2: Import the Statement in your Ionic project

import * as FirebaseChat  from 'juegostudio-firebase-chat-plugin';

Step 3: Initialize your app

• Specify the Firebase Configuration

   const firebaseConfig = {
     apiKey: "xxxxxx",
     authDomain: "xxxxxxx.firebaseapp.com",
     databaseURL: "https://xxxxxxx.firebaseio.com",
     projectId: "xxxxxxx",
     storageBucket: "xxxxxxx.appspot.com",
     messagingSenderId: "XXXXXXXXXXX"
   };

• Specify the Video configuration

  videoChatServerConfig is an optional parameter while creating the instance of FirebaseChat. URLs for STUN and TURN server can be set using this argument.

  // videoChatServerConfig looks similar to this.
  const videoChatServerConfig = {
      'iceServers': [
        {
          'urls': 'stun:stun.l.google.com:19302'
        },
        {
          'urls': 'yourturn server',
          'username': 'userName',
          'credential': 'credentials'
        },
        {
          'urls': 'turn server',
          'username': 'username',
          'credential' : 'credentials'
        }
      ]
    }

• Create a instance

  var app = new FirebaseChat(firebaseConfig, videoChatServerConfig /*optional parameter*/); 

Note:

STUN/TURN servers are required to get working video chat. Without specifying videoChatServerConfig video chat will work only on devices connected to same LAN. For more information about STUN and TURN servers you can refer this link. To host TURN Server refer to this link. It will explain how to host TURN server on Amazon AWS.

Step 4: Initialize chat

This method will create new user if user doesn't exist, else it will return existing user details. After initialization you'll be able use chat methods mentioned below.

app.initChat(userID, displayName, displayPic /*optional*/)
.then(user=>{
  console.log(user);// return user object
})
.catch(err=> console.log(err));

Step 5: Start Video Chat

This method will return Promise, if it is successful it will return channelId and localVideoSrc as response object properties. response.localVideoSrc can be used as src for html video tag.

  app.initiateCall(otherUid)
    .then(response=>{
      console.log(response);
    })
    .catch(err=>{ console.log(err) });

Step 6: Listening to incoming Video call

This method will be listening to incoming video calls. If there is a incoming call, you'll get videocall channel ID and initiatedBy(userId of person who has initiated this call) as response object properties. This response properties are required while accepting this call.

  app.listenToIncomingCall()
    .subscribe(res=>{console.log(res)})

Step 7: Accepting Video call

This method will accept incoming call. As a response you'll get localVideoSrc as response object prop.

  app.acceptCall(channelId, initiatedBy)
    .then(response=>console.log(res))

Step 8: Displaying remote video streams

After completing signaling you can add app.remoteStreamSrc as src for remote video html tag.

Step 9: Disconnecting video call

This method will stop both remote & local streams. Channel which was used for signaling will be deleted.

  app.disconnectCall(channelId)  

NOTE:

Video chat requires some permissions for the android build. So if you are making the android build, you need to set following permissions in AndroidManifest file.

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
    <uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera" />
    <uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera.autofocus" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS" />

Sample projects

• Ionic project

  Check sample code here.

• HTML project is under development.

Other Methods

• Updating profile picture

  This method is used to update both user and group display picture.

  • To update group display picture pass the groupID and channelType = 'group'.

  • To update user display picture pass the channelType = 'one2one'.

    app.updateProfilePic(filePath, channelType, groupID/*optional*/)
    .then(fileKey => {
      console.log(filKey)
    })
    .catch(err => console.log(err));

• Get User Details

    app.getUserDetails(otherUserId)
    .then(response => {
      console.log(response);
    })
    .catch(err => console.log(err));

• Listening to Updated Channels

  app.listenToUpdatedChannels()
  .subscribe( updatedChannels => {
      console.log(updatedChannels);
    },
    err => console.log(err));

• Get Online Status

  app.getOnlineStatus(otherUserId)
  .subscribe(onlineStatus=> {
    console.log(onlineStatus);
  });

• Typing Indicator

  To set Typing status of the user, parameters required are: Receiver's UserID and id of the input html tag.

  app.setIsTypingStatus(otherUserId, inputTagId)
  .then(successMsg => {
    console.log(successMsg);
  })
  .catch(err=> console.log(err));

  To get Typing status, the user has to send userId of the Other user

  app.getIsTypingStatus(OtherUserId)
  .subscribe(TypingStatus => {
    console.log(TypingStatus);
  });

• Sending Image

  app.sendImage(imageUrl, otherUserId/groupID, channelType , messageType)
  .then(res => 
      console.log(res),
    err => console.log(err));

• Get file using fileKey

  sendImage() method uploads compressed image, returns fileKey. To get actual image use fileKey with getFile() method.

  app.getFile(fileKey)
  .then(res=> {
    console.log(res);
  })

• Creating Group

  This method will create the group with the current userID.

    app.groupCreate(groupId, groupName, grpProfilePicture /*optional*/)
    .then(details => {
      console.log(details);
    })
    .catch(err => console.log(err));

• Adding Group Member

  This method will add one member at a time.

    app.groupAddMember(userId, grpId)
    .then(response => {
      console.log(response);
    })
    .catch(err => console.log(err));

• Exit Group

  This method will delete the group from your channel list.

    app.groupDelete(grpId)
    then(response => {
      console.log(response);
    })
    .catch(err => console.log(err));