Firebase Analytics (Web) does not work in Non-browser Envs

[marcoancona]

• Operating System version: macOS Mojave
• Browser version: Electron 5.0.10
• Firebase SDK version: 7.1.0
• Firebase Product: Analytics

Describe the problem

Steps to reproduce:

On Electron, Analytics seems to load correctly but no events, sessions or users are logged.

Relevant Code:

Include Firebase using the script tag (as importing the module from NPM fails due to gRPC).

<!-- Firebase App (the core Firebase SDK) is always required and must be listed first -->
<script src="https://www.gstatic.com/firebasejs/7.1.0/firebase-app.js"></script>

<!-- If you enabled Analytics in your project, add the Firebase SDK for Analytics -->
<script src="https://www.gstatic.com/firebasejs/7.1.0/firebase-analytics.js"></script>

<!-- Add Firebase products that you want to use -->
<script src="https://www.gstatic.com/firebasejs/7.1.0/firebase-auth.js"></script>
<script src="https://www.gstatic.com/firebasejs/7.1.0/firebase-firestore.js"></script>
<script>
	firebase.initializeApp({
		...
	});
	firebase.analytics()
</script>

While Firebase seems to load, and a new googletagmanager gets installed on the page, not analytics events seem to reach Firebase dashboard.

[google-oss-bot]

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[Feiyang1]

It's a limitation on gtag.js which Firebase Analytics depends on and uses cookies to manage sessions and users. Electron has document.cookies, but It seems that it is implemented/accessed differently, and gtag.js can't access it.

So unfortunately it means Firebase Analytics is not going to work in Electron.

[marcoancona]

I see. Then I will have to continue relying on the "classic" Google Analytics with Measurement Protocol. Hopefully, Google Analytics web+apps will support that as a data source at some point. It's a pity because a user-based analytics makes more sense for an Electron app (like for mobile apps) than the current session-based analytics.

[membla]

@Feiyang1 Do you have any links or leads on more information regarding this? As of now, we can't use Firebase Analytics in either the the main process (as Firebase node sdk doesn't support Analytics) or in the renderer, due to this. Great shame.

[rahul-dutt-sharma]

Nope

…

________________________________ From: Nikolaj Selvik <notifications@github.com> Sent: Saturday, February 8, 2020 10:55:45 AM To: firebase/firebase-js-sdk <firebase-js-sdk@noreply.github.com> Cc: Sharma, Rahul <RahulDutt.Sharma@monotype.com>; Manual <manual@noreply.github.com> Subject: Re: [firebase/firebase-js-sdk] Firebase Analytics (Web) does not work on Electron (#2243) @Feiyang1<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/XQXaCQW2m6iQrPvfPqo0G> Do you have any links or leads on more information regarding this? As of now, we can't use Firebase Analytics in either the the main process (as Firebase node sdk doesn't support Analytics) or in the renderer, due to this. Great shame. — You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/ElKHCR60nPh6BW4cP6tg4>, or unsubscribe<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/iyKVCVOkr7TJ9yqtJjvEM>.

[hsubox76]

Hi, to clear up any confusion, Firebase Analytics is a wrapper around the gtag.js library. Any expansion of its capabilities depend on gtag.js adding those capabilities. I don't know of any plans right now to support use of gtag.js in non-browser environments, but as it is a separate team, I don't want to speak for them.

Basically, any ability to do this is contingent on changes that would need to be made in a separate library that we do not maintain.

[rahul-dutt-sharma]

Thanks for this information. I will try contacting them

…

________________________________ From: Christina Holland <notifications@github.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2020 3:27:04 AM To: firebase/firebase-js-sdk <firebase-js-sdk@noreply.github.com> Cc: Sharma, Rahul <RahulDutt.Sharma@monotype.com>; Manual <manual@noreply.github.com> Subject: Re: [firebase/firebase-js-sdk] Firebase Analytics (Web) does not work on Electron (#2243) Hi, to clear up any confusion, Firebase Analytics is a wrapper around the gtag.js library<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/fxVgCYEnxytY6rJu0xNYZ>. Any expansion of its capabilities depend on gtag.js adding those capabilities. I don't know of any plans right now to support use of gtag.js in non-browser environments, but as it is a separate team, I don't want to speak for them. Basically, any ability to do this is contingent on changes that would need to be made in a separate library that we do not maintain. — You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/bUR7C1wnqGSgEVDcpRce2>, or unsubscribe<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/5IaUC2kor7trEMJs2D13U>.

[marcoancona]

What about Measurement Protocol?
If Firebase Analytics is based on the same underlying data of the classic Google Analytics, what prevents simply sending raw hit data?

[rahul-dutt-sharma]

I would like to chime in, I used heap by making the file protocol a standard scheme, this allowed heap to treat electron file:/// based ui as a webpage. Without this heap would not create cookies and hence wont work Firebase analytics had a simialr issue where it would not start even. By doing the above it makes the cookies and does some requests to load and start but never fully start If the problem is a simple check for browser agent then, this should be enhancable

…

________________________________ From: Marco Ancona <notifications@github.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2020 5:40:18 AM To: firebase/firebase-js-sdk <firebase-js-sdk@noreply.github.com> Cc: Sharma, Rahul <RahulDutt.Sharma@monotype.com>; Manual <manual@noreply.github.com> Subject: Re: [firebase/firebase-js-sdk] Firebase Analytics (Web) does not work on Electron (#2243) What about Measurement Protocol? If Firebase Analytics is based on the same underlying data of the classic Google Analytics, what prevents simply sending raw hit data? — You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/WlKwCn5oXgswmZxfJKtpc>, or unsubscribe<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/yBOFCo20Kjh9vV8SV31dC>.

[membla]

@marcoancona My understanding is that Firebase/App+Web GA properties uses v2 of the GPM, which is undocumented and thus potentially subject to changes or it simply never being made available for use as an open protocol. I think there is a definite lack of clarity surrounding the technical details of the Google/Firebase analytics offerings as of right now that should be adressed.

References:

https://www.thyngster.com/technical-overview-of-new-appweb-properties/
https://www.simoahava.com/analytics/getting-started-with-google-analytics-app-web/