Ok here is my final plan, chatgpt helped me summarize.

basically what i am going to do is keep flutterflow hooked up to the development database, then in my development git branch where i have custom code, set environment variables for DEV PROD. i am going to switch to build with code magic outside of flutter flow which i needed to do anyways since i want to use firebase hosting and deploy to that from codemagic.

by using code magic i can set it to build with different environments based on branch (this is my plan anyways).

so overall, it is only adding environments and adding a little code in my development branch.

this will also let me use my development database to deploy the test apps using firebase app deploy (i haven't used this yet but if it works would be way better than apple test flight for development).

for my cloud function project i am going to also set up environment variables (which i already have due to test/live keys). and i guess ill learn github actions so i can properly manage deployment without having to manually make sure all my flags are correct (this could be really error prone locally, especially at 3 am when your debugging)

thoughts? feedback? i'll let y'all know how it goes.

Step 1: Setting Up the Firebase Configuration

Branches: Ensure you have two branches in your Git repository: development and main.
Firebase Config: In your firebase_config.dart, implement logic to switch between development and production Firebase instances based on an environment variable.
Environment Variables: Set up environment variables in your local development environment and in your CI/CD pipeline (CodeMagic) to distinguish between DEV and PROD.

Step 2: Firebase Firestore and Storage Setup

Firestore: Use the firestore.indexes.json and firestore.rules from your FlutterFlow branch for development. Ensure they are replicated in your main branch for production.
Storage: No changes needed in storage.dart. Manage any specific rules or configurations directly in the Firebase Console.

Step 3: Firebase Extensions and Stripe Configuration

Stripe: Configure Stripe keys in both development and production databases. Ensure that test keys are used in development and live keys in production.

Step 4: Local and CI/CD Builds

Local Testing: Test your web, iOS, and Android builds locally to ensure everything works as expected in the development environment.
CodeMagic Setup: Configure CodeMagic to use the appropriate environment variables for each branch. Set up actions to deploy to the correct environments:
- Development branch: Deploy with DEV flag.
- Main branch: Deploy with PROD flag.

Step 5: Firebase Cloud Functions Project

Environment Variables: Set up environment variables in your Cloud Functions project to differentiate between development and production.
GitHub Actions:
- Configure GitHub Actions to deploy Cloud Functions to the correct Firebase project based on the branch.
- Use the DEV environment for the development branch and PROD for the main branch.
Feature Development:
- Use feature branches for developing new features. Test locally before merging into the development branch.

Starting Steps:

Configure Firebase Projects: Ensure you have separate Firebase projects for development and production. Obtain the necessary configuration details for each.
Update firebase_config.dart: Implement the logic to switch between Firebase projects based on the environment variable.
Set Up Environment Variables Locally: Configure your local environment to use DEV or PROD flags for testing.
Configure Firestore Rules and Indexes: Align firestore.indexes.json and firestore.rules in both development and main branches.
Prepare CI/CD Pipeline (CodeMagic): Configure environment variables in CodeMagic and set up build and deployment scripts.
Set Up GitHub Actions for Cloud Functions: Configure actions to automate deployment based on the branch.
Test Your Setup: Perform a series of tests to ensure that everything works as expected in both environments.

Seperation of Test/Development vs Production Environment