Implementing Firebase Cloud Functions can significantly enhance your application’s functionality, enabling seamless interactions with various Firebase services. This guide will walk you through setting up a starter project that allows you to create test Firebase Cloud Functions in TypeScript efficiently.

Contents

• Project Structure
• Customizing
• Testing
• Building
• Publishing
• What is Important to Know

1. Project Structure

Your Firebase Cloud Functions TypeScript starter comes with a well-defined structure:

• functions:
  • src folder for the Functions
    • index.ts entry point for all your Firebase Functions
    • tests folder for the Mocha tests
    • package.json npm options
    • rollup.config.js Rollup configuration for building the ES bundle
    • tsconfig.json TypeScript compiler options
    • .mocharc.json Mocha options
    • .eslintrc.json ESLint configuration
• .firebaserc: Firebase projects

2. Customizing

To customize your project, follow these steps:

1. Update Firebase CLI.
2. Update `.firebaserc` with your project ID.
3. Add your Firebase Functions to index.ts and create different files for each function.
4. Update external dependencies in the rollup.config.js file with those you actually use to build the ES bundle.
5. Create unit tests in the tests folder.

3. Testing

To ensure your functions are working correctly, run the unit tests using the following command:

npm test

4. Building

Building your project can be handled in both development and production modes.

Development

1. Start the tsc compiler with the watch option:

npm run build:dev

2. Start the emulator:

firebase emulators:start --only functions

3. For other supported emulators, refer to the official documentation: Run Functions Locally.

Production

To build for production, run the following command:

npm run build

This creates a lib folder containing your distribution files:

functions
    lib
         index.js

5. Publishing

Publish your functions by running:

npm run deploy

6. What is Important to Know

Here are a few critical aspects to bear in mind:

• Node.js: The engine in package.json is set to Node.js 16.
• ES Modules: Node.js 16 supports ES Modules; hence you need type: module in your package.json, format: es in rollup.config.js, and tsconfig.json targets ES2021 with ES2020 modules.
• Bundling with Rollup: Firebase Cloud Functions do not require the deployment of a single bundle; however, bundling with Rollup offers advantages like:
  • Tree shaking of unused code
  • No request for other files at runtime

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues during setup or execution, here are a few troubleshooting tips:

• Ensure all dependencies are correctly installed by running npm install.
• Check your tsconfig.json for appropriate settings, as misconfigurations can lead to compilation errors.
• Keep your Firebase CLI updated to avoid compatibility issues.
• If you’re having trouble with testing, verify that all necessary files are present in the tests folder.
• For more insights, updates, or to collaborate on AI development projects, stay connected with fxis.ai.

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