How to Connect Firebase to MySQL Integration: 2 Easy Methods

Firebase MySQL Integration will help you quickly transfer data between Firebase and MySQL.

It plays a vital role when you are designing applications or websites on Firebase and using MySQL as your database. Let’s understand the methods for Firebase to MySQL integration.

What is Firebase?

Firebase is a platform developed by Google for creating mobile and web applications. It was acquired by Google in 2014 for offering mobile and web app development with their other technologies.

What is MySQL?

• MySQL is the first Open-Source RDBMS (Relational Database Management System) that was available on the market.
• Today, despite having many variations to MySQL, it has still managed to keep its reputation and popularity in the market.

Methods to Set up Firebase MySQL Integration

Method 1: Using Hevo to Set Up Firebase MySQL Integration

• Hevo is the only real-time ELT No-code Data Pipeline platform that cost-effectively automates data pipelines that are flexible to your needs.
• With integration with 150+ Data Sources (40+ free sources), we help you not only export data from sources & load data to the destinations but also transform & enrich your data, & make it analysis-ready. Its fault-tolerant architecture ensures that the data is handled in a secure, consistent manner with zero data loss.

Step 1: Configure Firebase Analytics as the Source

For more information on how to proceed with setting up Firebase as the source, read into this documentation.

Step 2: Configure MySQL as the Destination

These two simple steps show you how to connect MySQL database to Firebase in just a few clicks.

Check out what makes Hevo amazing

• In-built Transformations – Format your data on the fly with Hevo’s preload transformations using either the drag-and-drop interface, or our nifty python interface. Generate analysis-ready data in your warehouse using Hevo’s Postload Transformation.
• Auto-Schema Management – Correcting improper schema after the data is loaded into your warehouse is challenging. Hevo automatically maps source schema with destination warehouse so you don’t face the pain of schema errors.
• Transparent Pricing – Hevo Pricing brings complete visibility to your ELT spend. Stay in control with spend alerts and configurable credit limits for unforeseen spikes in the data flow.
• Security – Discover peace with end-to-end encryption and compliance with all major security certifications including HIPAA, GDPR, SOC-2.

Method 2: Manual Method for Firebase MySQL Integration

• Step 1: Exporting your Firebase Data into a JSON file.
• Step 2: Converting the JSON File into a CSV file.
• Step 3: Importing the CSV File into your MySQL Database.

Pro Tip: Build Your Single Source of Truth with MySQL in Minutes using MySQL ETL

Step 1: Exporting your Firebase Data into a JSON file

The first step in Firebase MySQL Integration is to access your Firebase account and export the data as a JSON file. To do this, select the node you wish to export, click on the vertical 3 dots icon and click on Export JSON. Once you do this, your browser will begin downloading a “.json” file for your database data. This is shown below.

Step 2: Converting the JSON File into a CSV file

The next step is to convert the JSON file into a CSV file. In case you do not have a pre-built converter, you can use any online converter to convert your files. You can use this online converter to accomplish this task.

Step 3: Importing the CSV File into your MySQL Database

The final step in the Firebase MySQL Integration is to use the LOAD DATA INFILE statement to import the CSV file into the MySQL table. The LOAD DATA INFILE statement allows you to read data from a text file and import the file’s data into a database table in an efficient manner.

An important point to note is that, before you import the JSON file, ensure that you have a database table to which the data from the file will be imported, a CSV file that matches the number of columns of the table, and the data type of each column and a MySQL account that has the FILE and INSERT privileges.

For example, we want to import a “discounts.csv” file onto a “discount” table in MySQL. We can do this using the LOAD DATA INFILE command. The structure of the table and file are shown below.

The first step is to create the Discounts Table according to the structure in MySQL. You can do this by writing the following code:

CREATE TABLE discounts (
    id INT NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
    title VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
    expired_date DATE NOT NULL,
    amount DECIMAL(10,2) NULL,
    PRIMARY KEY (id)
);

Once the table is created, you can write the following piece of code to import the CSV file into MySQL:

LOAD DATA INFILE 'c:/tmp/discounts.csv' 
INTO TABLE discounts 
FIELDS TERMINATED BY ',' 
ENCLOSED BY '"'
LINES TERMINATED BY 'n'
IGNORE 1 ROWS;

The given code loads the “discounts.csv” file into the table Discounts.

That’s it! You have successfully set up Firebase MySQL Integration using a JSON and CSV export/import process!

Some of the limitations of this method

• You must have access to an online converter to use this method. This can be a security threat as well for your business data.
• As users will have to export and convert JSON data, this method is very complex, time-consuming, and highly error-prone. 
• This method will require having strong technical SQL knowledge.

Find details about some of the best MySQL ETL free tools from our guide

Use Cases for MySQL Firebase Integration

There are several benefits associated with MySQL Firebase integration, resulting in the following use cases:

1. Advanced Analytics: You can utilize MySQL’s powerful data processing capabilities to perform complex queries and data analysis on your Firebase data. This is particularly useful for extracting insights that can’t be done with Firebase alone.
2. Data Consolidation: Syncing data from Firebase and any other sources you’re using into MySQL provides a centralized holistic view of operations. You can set up a change data capture process to avoid data discrepancies.
3. Historical Data Analysis: Owing to the historical data retention limits of Firebase, you can sync data to MySQL for long-tern retention and analysis of historical trends.
4. Scalability: If you have constantly expanding volumes of data in Firebase, integrating with MySQL can provide improved scalability without impacting performance.
5. Data Science and Machine Learning: You can apply ML models to your Firebase data in MySQL for customer segmentation, predictive analytics, etc.
6. Reporting and Visualization: To access improved data visualization, tools like PowerBI, Tableau, and Looker can connect to MySQL. This will provide advanced BI options.

Conclusion

• This article gave you a step-by-step guide on setting up Firebase MySQL Integration.
• It also gave you an overview of both Firebase and MySQL along with their features.

FAQ on Firebase to MySQL