how to create a context object in google cloud run for firebase - go

Question

I'm trying to create a context object, so that I can connect to firestore from cloud run, however, all the examples I find on the net basically say I need a context objects, examples I find online usually look like this:
ctx := context.Background()
client, err := firestore.NewClient(ctx, "projectID")
if err != nil {
fail(w, err.Error())
// TODO: Handle error.
}
You can find these examples in places like this one:
https://godoc.org/cloud.google.com/go/firestore#example-NewClient
Nowhere in this example is there an explanation of where to find the context object.
so I just get this error:
undefined: context
I think the documentation is just too confusing.

Answer 1

You should use r.Context() of http.Request object in the request handler instead of initializing a new detached context like context.Background().
The main purpose of contexts is to propagate them, and in Cloud Run you always process requests, so if you pass the request’s context, it’s the right thing to do.
I think in your case, “context” package is not imported. Make sure to use go 1.11+ in your Dockerfile and say:
import “context”

Answer 2

In Go, you need to import packages. For this statement ctx := context.Background() add to the top of your source file import "context" or merge with your existing import set.
Like most languages, the more experience you have the more the language makes sense and you just know what to do. Most languages are the same. In C/C++ you have the include statement, C# the using statement, in Python the import statement, etc.
Google has a large package of examples for using Go and Google Cloud Platform:
Google Cloud Examples in Go
I wrote an article that documents my 30-day journey to learn Go and Google Cloud Platform.
Google Cloud and Go – My Journey to Learn a new Language in 30 days

Answer 3

Given the plethora of 3 lines of code examples that are hard for beginners, and the lack of complete working examples online, like myself, here is a full working example, which is kinda what I needed when I started this task, I hope this helps anybody in the future.
package main
import (
"cloud.google.com/go/firestore" // https://godoc.org/cloud.google.com/go/firestore"
"context" // https://blog.golang.org/context
firebase "firebase.google.com/go"
"fmt"
"log"
"net/http"
"os"
)
func fail(w http.ResponseWriter, msg string) {
fmt.Fprintln(w, "fail:"+msg)
log.Println("fail:" + msg)
}
// State example code
type State struct {
Capital string `firestore:"capital"`
Population float64 `firestore:"pop"` // in millions
}
func main() {
http.HandleFunc("/", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
override := make(map[string]interface{})
ctx := context.Background()
client, err := firestore.NewClient(ctx, "YOURPID")// set GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS env var
if err != nil {
fail(w, err.Error())
return
}
states := client.Collection("States")
ny := states.Doc("NewYork")
wr, err := ny.Create(ctx, State{
Capital: "Albany",
Population: 19.8,
})
fmt.Println(wr)
})
log.Fatal(http.ListenAndServe("0.0.0.0:8082", nil))
}