Using Firebase to interact with data: $add(), .push(), and .set()

Question

Using Firebase to interact with data: $add(), .push(), and .set()

Utilizing Firebase and AngularFire has opened up many different approaches for CRUD operations with the Firebase API. However, I am still uncertain about the specific differences between using:

$add with $firebaseArray
The .push() method
The .set() method

Although these methods may seem technically equivalent, I find myself leaning towards using the .set() method without fully understanding why. Is there a particular reason why one should avoid using it? And what exactly does $firebaseArray do? Can we not simply declare a basic reference variable like in the following examples?

var usersRef = Ref.child('users');

$scope.createUser = function() {
  $scope.userRef.child($id).set({
    name: name
  });
};

or

$scope.data = $firebaseArray(Ref.child('users'));

$scope.createUser = function() {
  $scope.data.child($id).$add({
    name: name
  });
};

Thank you.

javascript angularjs firebase angularfire

Answer 1

Answer №1

Consider this example of a data tree in Firebase:

{
  users:
   {
      key: { name:"bob" }
   }
}

When utilizing the $add function, a new item will be added to the tree as shown below:

$scope.data.child('users').$add({
    name: name
  });

Since $add leverages the Push method in Firebase, a random key is generated for each new data entry under 'users'.

{
  users:
   {[
      key: { name:"bob" },
      key2: { name:"name" }
   ]}
}

If a set operation is performed on the same Users object, it will replace the existing data entirely. Therefore, without specifying a specific key, the entire user object will be overwritten by the new data.

$scope.userRef.child('users').set({
       name: name
           });
      };

As a result, the updated data structure will look like this:

{
  users:
   {
      name: "name"
   }
}

This behavior occurs because passing null values to the Set method deletes any original data present at that location.

Passing null to set() will remove the data at the specified location.

Answer 2

Consider this example of a data tree in Firebase:

{
  users:
   {
      key: { name:"bob" }
   }
}

When utilizing the $add function, a new item will be added to the tree as shown below:

$scope.data.child('users').$add({
    name: name
  });

Since $add leverages the Push method in Firebase, a random key is generated for each new data entry under 'users'.

{
  users:
   {[
      key: { name:"bob" },
      key2: { name:"name" }
   ]}
}

If a set operation is performed on the same Users object, it will replace the existing data entirely. Therefore, without specifying a specific key, the entire user object will be overwritten by the new data.

$scope.userRef.child('users').set({
       name: name
           });
      };

As a result, the updated data structure will look like this:

{
  users:
   {
      name: "name"
   }
}

This behavior occurs because passing null values to the Set method deletes any original data present at that location.

Passing null to set() will remove the data at the specified location.

Using Firebase to interact with data: $add(), .push(), and .set()

Answer №1

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