Tutorials/getting started

= Getting Started = Welcome to the world of Firebase! This page will attempt to show you how to get started as fast as possible. You ready?

Prerequisites - Server
Firebase is a Java server, and as such you will need the lastest and greatest Java SDK from Sun Microsystems. Maven is used in almost all tutorials anyway so you should get:


 * Java SDK version 6 or higher.
 * Maven version 3 or higher.

Prerequisites - Client
The prerequisites on the client side depend on which language you want to use. Here are some things to keep in mind:

JavaScript / HTML5
If you want to develop the client in HTML5 using our  new sexy JavaScript API, you don't need to install anything other than an HTML5 compliant browser. However, you might also want a good JavaScript editor. We recommend:
 * Chrome - HTML5 compliant browser
 * WebStorm Awesome JavaScript editor

Flash / Flex
If you want to develop Flex/Flash clients you will also need Adobe Flexbuilder 3 or higher.


 * Flexbuilder (optional)

Java
A Java client has essentially the same prerequisites as the server itself:


 * Java SDK version 6 or higher.
 * Maven version 3 or higher.

And we're off!
You in a hurry? Well, here are four quickstarts/tutorials to get you started:

Client Focused Tutorials
These tutorials put the emphasis on the client, but they will help you get the server side up and running as well.
 * Hello New World - HTML5 / JavaScript
 * Hello World - Java server / Flex client

Server Focused Tutorials
These tutorials put the emphasis on the server side, but we'll create a client so you can actually test your server as well.
 * Quickstart Extreme - Not for the faint hearted - Java/Flex
 * Simple Game Tutorial - Java server / Java client

TicTacToe
Every self respecting game server should have TicTacToe examples. Below you'll find not only the game server and a client, but also bots and a tournament.


 * Tic-tac-toe Server (Java)
 * Tic-tac-toe Client (JavaScript)
 * Tic-tac-toe Tournament (Java)
 * Tic-tac-toe Bot (Java)
 * Tic-tac-toe Script server (Ruby server / Flex client)

Documentation
There's a helpful series (ongoing) at the blog called "Firebase From Scratch":


 * Firebase From Scratch: Introduction

Otherwise there's also the developer documentation:


 * Developer Reference
 * Administration Reference
 * Server API Javadoc
 * Server / Client Protocoll

Resources

 * Forum
 * Wiki (You're here)
 * FAQ