`fireutil` module for powering up `angularFire` https://github.com/firebase/angularFire

README.md

fireutil

A collection of utilities for making your life with angularFire better.

$firebaseArr

Reference: FirebaseExtended/angularfire#200 (comment)

Generate $firebase object of an array type, which can be used with handy angular filters.

$scope.list = $firebaseArr(ref);

expect(Object.prototype.toString.call($scope.list)).toEqual('[object Array]');

firebaseRef

A easier way to get Firebase reference by concatenating firebase routes.

fireutil.js

/*global angular*/
angular.module('fireutil', ['firebase'])

// Ref: https://github.com/firebase/angularFire/issues/200#issuecomment-31905575
.factory('$firebaseArr', ['$firebase', '$filter', '$log', function($firebase, $filter, $log) {
  return $firebaseArr;

  function $firebaseArr(ref) {
    var dataObj = $firebase(ref);
    var dataArr = angular.extend([], dataObj);

    dataObj.$on('change', function() {
      dataArr.length = 0;
      angular.extend(dataArr, $filter('orderByPriority')(dataObj));
    });

    /**
     * Destroy the $firebaseArr object
     */
    dataArr.$destroy = function () {
      dataObj.$off();
    };

    /**
     * Create $firebaseArr object from a child
     * @param  {string}             name                   child's name
     * @return {$firebaseArr object}
     */
    dataArr.$childArr = function(name) {
      var ref = dataObj.$getRef().child(name);
      return $firebaseArr(ref);
    };

    return dataArr;
  }
}])

.factory('firebaseRef', function (Firebase) {
  /**
   * Firebase reference generator
   *
   * @usage
   *   var refFunc = firebaseRef(rootUrl);
   *   refFunc();  // "{BASE}" reference
   *
   *   refFunc('a', 'b', 'c');  // "{BASE}/a/b/c" reference
   *   refFunc(['a', 'b', 'c']);  // same as above
   */
  return function firebaseRef(rootUrl) {
    var _rootRef = new Firebase(rootUrl);
    return function ref(path) {
      if (!angular.isArray(path)) {
        path = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments);
      }
      
      if (!path || path.length === 0) {
        return new Firebase(rootUrl);
      }
      
      return _rootRef.child(path.join('/'));
    };
  };
});