This page describes Developer Connect, a service that lets you create and maintain connections to source code management platforms outside of Google Cloud. This page is intended for application developers, platform administrators, and security managers who are looking for a way to use third-party source code management platforms with Google. You should already be familiar with Git repositories.
Introduction
Software development often requires integrations with source code management providers. For example, connecting your continuous integration system from one provider with a source code management platform from another provider might be necessary to automate your software development workflows, and each provider can have very different configuration requirements.
Creating and managing several configurations introduces complexity. Developer Connect is designed to manage such complex integrations all in one place.
Developer Connect also abstracts away authentication, authorization, and networking tasks for you. For example, using Developer Connect trims the number of steps required to access GitHub repositories and use that code in Firebase App Hosting.
Getting started with Developer Connect
You can use Developer Connect in the following ways:
Connect to external Git repositories from within your everyday development workflow.
For example, developers can connect to a GitHub repository from within Firebase App Hosting setup steps.
Create, view, and edit all of your repository connections from within the Developer Connect platform.
By using the unified connection management view in the Google Cloud console, platform administrators and security managers can create, distribute, oversee, and modify your connections between services.
Google services that integrate with Developer Connect
Firebase
Firebase's App Hosting feature integrates with Developer Connect to allow its users to connect their GitHub repositories to Firebase and use them to create a web application.
Third-party services that integrate with Developer Connect
GitHub
Developer Connect lets you connect to GitHub repositories. You can set up, share, and maintain connections to accounts and repositories from one Google Cloud interface, and use GitHub repositories in Firebase App Hosting.
Key concepts
Developer Connect handles integrations through connections and links.
Connection
Represents the bridge between Google and the third-party source code management platform.
The first step in establishing the bridge between Google and the third-party source code management platform.
For example, you can configure a connection between Google and GitHub through Developer Connect by using the app specifically designed for the purpose.
Link
Represents the connectivity to source code repositories within a connected third-party source code management platform.
You can set up a link only after setting up a connection.
For example, after setting up a connection between Google and GitHub, you can configure links to multiple repositories within the connected GitHub account.