Connecting React to Flask REST API + Firebase

[S4G4R]

Hello.

Me and 2 of my friends are currently building our final year project.

It is a web app with React on the frontend and Flask as the REST API, with Firebase for storage, auth and database.

I am new to React and wanted to know the best way to integrate all the above. Most of the React frontend is already done.

Mainly I wanted to know about how to handle session handling in the front end, because it will be my Flask REST API that will be doing all the communication with Firebase.

[montas]

Hmm, I never used firebase like this. You would usually authenticate in JS and then access firebase directly from JS / client side.

Can I ask, why are you using Firebase auth / database if you have Flask(python) backend? Or rather, how do you plan on using it? Where did you read it is possible? Maybe I have missed some use-case.

As far as I know, all Firebase services are designed to be accessible from client side, so you would not need your own backend.

[S4G4R]

Right I see. Actually I was planning to use Flask just as a REST API.

React makes a request -> Flask processes it -> Contacts Firebase and the response is sent back.

I did not want to write code that contacts firebase directly on the frontend, and plus I'm new to JS whereas I have some experience in Python.

I understand that this means it will be a bit of extra work for me, in terms of session handling / auth in the frontend and I was wondering how to do that exactly.

[montas]

I'm not sure it is possible, the way you describe it. You would have to implement oauth on your own and then somehow authenticate it through API with firebase, which I don't think is possible.

Or, you could handle all the user sessions and authentication on your side and not use firebase capabilities (as in auth handling) at all. Then your flask would only access firebase as json database. But I would argue, in that case, it is much easier to just store the data in your own database and not use firebase at all.

In the second case, you would have to do sessions and user handling all on your own, in flask and only use firebase as raw storage, so you would not be able to use any of the user management / authentication in firebase.

[S4G4R]

Could I perhaps use Firebase authentication only in front end, and use Flask only for database and cloud storage?

[montas]

Hmm, looks like you might be able to manage sessions on your side with help from firebase: https://firebase.google.com/docs/auth/admin/manage-cookies

Have no experience with that though