In today’s digital landscape, mobile applications often demand seamless integration with cloud services for better data management and user experience. One such powerful combination is building an Ionic app with Supabase, a powerful open-source backend-as-a-service platform that allows developers to manage databases, authentication, and file storage efficiently. This article delves into how you can develop an Ionic application that utilizes Supabase’s storage functionality to handle private and public files effectively.

Understanding Supabase and Ionic

What is Supabase?

Supabase is an open-source alternative to Firebase, providing a backend service that includes database storage, authentication, and real-time subscriptions. It operates on PostgreSQL, allowing developers to harness SQL queries to interact with their data. As of now, Supabase remains in beta, with updates frequently rolling out to enhance its capabilities.

Why Use Ionic?

Ionic is a popular framework for building cross-platform mobile applications using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It leverages frameworks like Angular, React, or Vue.js to create mobile-ready UI components, making it a vital tool for developers looking to create high-performing applications across various platforms.

Setting Up Your Ionic Application

To get started, you will need to install Node.js and Ionic CLI. Once set up, follow these steps:

1. Create a New Ionic Project:
   Run the following command to create a new Ionic application:

   ionic start myApp blank

2. Add Supabase Dependency:
   Navigate to your project directory and install the Supabase client:

   npm install @supabase/supabase-js

3. Initialize Your Supabase Project:
   Create a free Supabase account and set up a new project. Obtain your Supabase URL and public API key from the settings in your Supabase dashboard.

Building the Core Features

Authentication Setup

Before handling file uploads, you must develop a user authentication system using Supabase. Implement the following:

1. Create Sign Up and Login Functions:
   You can use Supabase’s built-in authentication functions to manage user sessions:

   const { user, session, error } = await supabase.auth.signUp({
     email: '[email protected]',
     password: 'password'
   });

2. Setup Routing and Guards:
   Ensure that your app has the necessary routing and authentication guards in place to protect your application routes. The guards will allow only authenticated users to access certain resources or components of your app.

Integrating Storage Functionality

With user authentication in place, it is time to implement the file storage feature using Supabase:

Creating the Storage Buckets

1. Define Your Buckets:
   In your Supabase dashboard, create two storage buckets—one public and one private:

• Public Bucket: Allows any user to see uploaded files.
• Private Bucket: Allows only authenticated users to upload their files.

1. Implement SQL Policies:
   Set row-level security policies to manage access for both storage buckets so that only authenticated users can insert and delete files from their private bucket.

Uploading Files

1. Using Capacitor Camera Plugin:
   Use the Capacitor camera plugin to capture images in your Ionic application. Install the plugin with:

   ionic capacitor install @capacitor/camera

2. File Upload Logic:
   Implement the logic to upload files to the correct bucket:

   const file = await someConversionFunction(cameraFile);
   const { data, error } = await supabase.storage.from(bucketName).upload(`path/to/${fileName}`, file);

Ensure to handle errors appropriately and utilize hooks like loaders for better user experience.

Displaying Uploaded Files

For your app to showcase the uploaded files, create a method that retrieves files from both the public and private buckets, presenting them based on the user’s authentication status:

• Use methods like supabase.storage.from(bucketName).list() to fetch the files.
• Display images using an ngFor directive to iterate through and show uploaded files on the frontend.

Real-Time Database Changes

One of Supabase’s standout features is its real-time capabilities. You can subscribe to your tables and buckets, listen for insertions, deletions, and updates, and reflect those in your application without requiring a page reload. To achieve this:

const subscription = supabase
  .from('files')
  .on('INSERT', payload => console.log('New file added:', payload))
  .subscribe();

Conclusion and Next Steps

Building an Ionic application integrated with Supabase not only simplifies the process of managing user authentication and file uploads, but it also enhances the functionality you can offer in your app. Users can securely upload files, access their own data, and manage privacy through the neat separation of public versus private storage solutions.

As you develop your application further, consider exploring more advanced Supabase features, such as custom SQL functions, movement of files between buckets, or creating folders within your storage. The best part is you can easily grow this application without compromising on performance or scalability.

Don’t forget to check out the official documentation for Ionic and Supabase for more in-depth learning resources. Happy coding!