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Connect to Back4app

18min
Now that you've created your application on Back4app, you’re just a few steps away from using its backend features. This guide will walk you through connecting your app to Back4app's servers using the Parse SDK or REST APIs.
Prerequisites
To complete this tutorial, you will need:
Create an Application: Create a new app on Back4app if you haven't already.
Access Application Keys: Go to Server Settings > Core Settings > App ID and Keys to find your keys. You will use these to authenticate with Back4app.
1 - Install the Parse SDK
Based on the platform you’re working with, follow one of the installation methods below:
JavaScript (Web or Node.js)
# Install the Parse SDK
$ npm install parse --save
React Native
# Install Parse and AsyncStorage for React Native
$ npm install parse @react-native-async-storage/async-storage --save

# Run pod install for iOS
cd ios && pod install
Flutter
Add Parse SDK to pubspec.yaml
dependencies:
  parse_server_sdk_flutter: ^latest_version
To check the latest version, you can check here.﻿
Android
Open your build.gradle file (Module: app) and add the following dependencies:
repositories {
    mavenCentral()
    jcenter()
    maven { url 'https://jitpack.io' }
}
dependencies {
    implementation 'com.github.parse-community.Parse-SDK-Android:parse:latest_version'
}
To check the latest version, you can check here.﻿
iOS
Install CocoaPods
sudo gem install cocoapods
    2.  Add Parse SDK to your Podfile:
pod 'ParseSwift
You can also use the Swift Package Manager (SPM) or Carthage to install ParseSwift. Click here to know more.
PHP
Create a composer.json file in your project root with the following content:
{
  "require": {
    "parse/php-sdk": "latest_version_here"
  }
}
Then run:
composer install
    2.  Or clone from GitHub:  
git clone https://github.com/parse-community/parse-php-sdk.git
For more details, see this guide.
.NET
Add Parse SDK from NuGet Packages: Open Visual Studio, go to Solution Explorer, right-click your project, and select Manage NuGet Packages...
Search for Parse and install it.
For more details, see this guide.
2 - Initialize the Parse SDK 
Once the SDK is installed, initialize it in your app. Below are examples for each platform:
JS
RN
Flutter
Android
iOS
PHP
.NET
ParseClient.Initialize(new ParseClient.Configuration {
    ApplicationId = "YOUR_APP_ID", // Replace with your App ID
    Key = "YOUR_MASTER_KEY"
    ServerURI = "https://parseapi.back4app.com/"
});
ParseClient.Initialize(new ParseClient.Configuration {
    ApplicationId = "YOUR_APP_ID", // Replace with your App ID
    Key = "YOUR_MASTER_KEY"
    ServerURI = "https://parseapi.back4app.com/"
});
﻿
3 - Save and Read your first Data Object
To ensure your connection is set up correctly, save and retrieve a test object in your Back4app app. Here’s an example:
JS
RN
Flutter
Android
iOS
PHP
.NET
REST API
// Create and save a test object
const testConnection = async () => {
  const Person = new Parse.Object("Person");
  Person.set("name", "Jon Snow");
  Person.set("age", 30);

  try {
    await Person.save();
    console.log("Successfully connected to Back4app!");
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Connection error:", error.message);
  }
};

testConnection();
// Create and save a test object
const testConnection = async () => {
  const Person = new Parse.Object("Person");
  Person.set("name", "Jon Snow");
  Person.set("age", 30);

  try {
    await Person.save();
    console.log("Successfully connected to Back4app!");
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Connection error:", error.message);
  }
};

testConnection();
﻿
After running these code snippets, check your Back4app Dashboard to verify that the object was saved successfully. This confirms that your connection to Back4app is working.
﻿
What to do Next?
After a quick start, we recommend keeping exploring the Back4app main features by checking out the guides below.
           React Native﻿
                Flutter﻿
             Android ﻿
                   iOS﻿
           Javascript﻿
               GraphQL﻿
                 Ionic﻿
              Xamarin﻿
 
Updated 08 Nov 2024
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