title: Firebase: setting additional user properties
body: <p>I'd like to add a property to a Firebase user object. The <a href="https://firebase.google.com/docs/auth/users" rel="noreferrer">user documentation</a> says that I can only store additional properties using the Firebase real time database. </p>
  
  <p>I am unsure on <strong>how this can works</strong> in practice.</p>
  
  <p>What does the following mean in practice?</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>You cannot add other properties to the Firebase User object directly;
    instead, you can store the additional properties in your Firebase
    Realtime Database.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>I interpret it as following:</p>
  
  <p>"you cannot modify properties of a <strong><a href="https://firebase.google.com/docs/reference/ios/firebaseauth/interface_f_i_r_user#instance-method-summary" rel="noreferrer">FIRUser</a></strong> object but you can combine this with additional objects" </p>
  
  <p>I found the <strong>set</strong> function <a href="https://www.firebase.com/docs/web/guide/saving-data.html" rel="noreferrer">documentation</a> which I interpet in this way:</p>
  
  <pre><code>  var userRef = ref.child("users");
    userRef.set({
      newfield: "value"
    });
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Is this a sensible approach?</p>