__init__.py

import requests
import urlparse  #for urlparse and urljoin
import os  #for os.path.dirname
import json  #for dumps
from datetime import datetime


class Firebase():
    ROOT_URL = ''  #no trailing slash

    def __init__(self, root_url, auth_token=None):
        self.ROOT_URL = root_url.rstrip('/')
        self.auth_token = auth_token

    #These methods are intended to mimic Firebase API calls.

    def child(self, path):
        root_url = '%s/' % self.ROOT_URL
        url = urlparse.urljoin(root_url, path.lstrip('/'))
        return Firebase(url)

    def parent(self):
        url = os.path.dirname(self.ROOT_URL)
        #If url is the root of your Firebase, return None
        up = urlparse.urlparse(url)
        if up.path == '':
            return None  #maybe throw exception here?
        return Firebase(url)

    def name(self):
        return os.path.basename(self.ROOT_URL)

    def toString(self):
        return self.__str__()

    def __str__(self):
        return self.ROOT_URL

    def set(self, value):
        return self.put(value)

    def push(self, data):
        return self.post(data)

    def update(self, data):
        return self.patch(data)

    def remove(self):
        return self.delete()


    #These mirror REST API functionality

    def put(self, data):
        return self.__request('put', data=data)

    def patch(self, data):
        return self.__request('patch', data=data)

    def get(self):
        return self.__request('get')

    #POST differs from PUT in that it is equivalent to doing a 'push()' in
    #Firebase where a new child location with unique name is generated and
    #returned
    def post(self, data):
        return self.__request('post', data=data)

    def delete(self):
        return self.__request('delete')

    #Private
    def __request(self, method, **kwargs):
        #Firebase API does not accept form-encoded PUT/POST data. It needs to
        #be JSON encoded.

        # add in custom encoder for datetime objects
        class Encoder(json.JSONEncoder):
            def default(self, obj):
                if isinstance(obj, datetime):
                    return obj.isoformat()
                else:
                    return super(Encoder, self).default(obj)

        if 'data' in kwargs:
            kwargs['data'] = json.dumps(kwargs['data'], cls=Encoder)

        params = {}
        if self.auth_token:
            if 'params' in kwargs:
                params = kwargs['params']
                del kwargs['params']
            params.update({'auth': self.auth_token})

        r = requests.request(method, self.__url(), params=params, **kwargs)
        r.raise_for_status()  #throw exception if error
        return r.json()

    def __url(self):
        #We append .json to end of ROOT_URL for REST API.
        return '%s.json' % self.ROOT_URL