Helpi is an Android application that makes it easy for people in the same area to offer, request and coordinate help or item exchanges in real‑time.
The project was built as part of a university software‑engineering course and already includes chat, geolocation, push notifications and Firebase integration. It comprises ~260 commits and is mostly Java code with a small JavaScript backend for Cloud Functions.
- Community marketplace for help & items – post ads, browse nearby offers and start a chat with a single tap.
- Map‑centric UI – users pick an exact location when creating a listing, and the home screen shows ads around their current position (Google Maps SDK).
- Realtime backend – Firebase Authentication, Firestore, Storage and Cloud Messaging keep data and notifications in sync across devices.
- Cloud Functions micro‑services – small Node scripts (in
functions/) handle server‑side validation and scheduled clean‑ups.
| Layer | Tech stack |
|---|---|
| Mobile client | Android SDK, Java |
| Backend / Realtime DB | Firebase (Auth, Firestore, Storage, FCM) |
| Serverless logic | Firebase Cloud Functions (Node.js) |
| Build & CI | Gradle KTS, GitHub Actions |
| Design libraries | Material Components, Google Maps SDK |
-
Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/ShayGali/helpi.git cd helpi -
Open in Android Studio (Hedgehog 2023.1+ recommended).
The IDE will import the Gradle Kotlin build automatically. -
Create a Firebase project and download
google-services.jsonintoapp/.
Enable Email/Google sign‑in and Cloud Messaging in the console. -
Set up local
.envsecrets (optional):FIREBASE_API_KEY=... MAPS_API_KEY=... -
Run on device / emulator
./gradlew installDebug adb shell am start -n "com.helpi/.MainActivity"
| Feature | Screenshot |
|---|---|
| Browse ads nearby |  |
| Search screen |  |
| Product details |  |
| Home screen |  |
| In-app chat |  |