Web and App Development is important for any organization as it helps them promote their product on both Desktop and Mobile platforms. By designing innovative websites and applications, companies can showcase their services and attract a wide variety of customers. One such platform developed by Google that is designed for creating web and mobile applications is Firebase. By using Firebase, companies can utilize Google’s mobile platform to quickly develop enterprise-grade applications to grow their business.
Another factor that plays an important role in Web & App development is the use of Databases. One of the first databases developed in the mid-’90’s was MySQL. Firebase MySQL Integration is a process that helps 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.
In this article, you will learn how to set up Firebase MySQL Integration. You will also get an overview of Firebase and MySQL to understand these technologies better individually. Read along to find out how you can integrate Firebase and MySQL for your business.
Prerequisites
- A Firebase account.
- A JSON-CSV online converter.
- A MySQL account.
- Working knowledge of MySQL.
- Working knowledge of Databases and Data Warehouses.
What is Firebase?
Image Source: Firebase-Google
Firebase is a platform developed by Google for creating mobile and web applications. It was developed from Envolve, a startup founded by James Tamplin and Andrew Lee in 2011. It was acquired by Google in 2014 for offering mobile and web app development with their other technologies. Originally, Envolve provided developers an API (Application Programming Interface) that enabled the incorporation of online chat functionality onto their websites but later they found out that some application data was also being sent along with the chat messages on the online chat platform and so they decided to separate the chat system and the application platform. This application platform later became Firebase.
After being acquired by Google, the first product of Firebase was the Firebase Realtime Database, an API that synchronizes application data across iOS, Android, and Web devices, and stores it on Firebase’s cloud. It assists software developers in building real-time, collaborative applications.
Key Features of Firebase
Image Source: Javatpoint
Firebase houses a wide range of features which makes it a better choice as compared to other web and mobile application development platforms. Some of these features are:
- Firebase has one of the best built-in Analytics dashboards. This dashboard offers unlimited reporting capabilities, efficient audience segmentation, and seamless integration with other services.
- Firebase allows you to build high-quality applications with ease. It combines techniques like Cloud Messaging, Authentication, Hosting, Remote Configuration, Crash Reporting, and many more onto a common platform. Its UI is relatively simple to understand and work on.
- Firebase maintains a constant interaction with all its user and this way it enhances their growth simultaneously.
- It also helps you boost your revenue with the websites/applications you created.
With Firebase MySQL Integration, you can use the flexible, powerful, and simple UI of Firebase with a reliable database like MySQL, all in one package.
To learn more about Firebase, click this link.
What is MySQL?
Image Source: 1000 Logos
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. It has been in the market for almost 26 years. It was developed in the mid-’90s and was originally designed to keep data organized and used SQL (Structured Query Language) to query all the records in the Database. It is implemented in combination with PHP and Apache Web Server, above a Linux distribution.
The first version of MySQL was released in 1995 by the Swedish company MySQL AB. The company was founded by David Axmark, Allan Larsson, and Michael Widenius. It was released under the GNU GPL (General Public License) license. In 2001, the software had more than 2 million installations and by 2004, the software was downloaded more than 30,000 in a single day. It is currently owned by Oracle Corporation.
Similar to other RDBMS, MySQL uses tables to store data in the form of rows and columns. It has triggers and stored procedures to maintain the relationships between tables and also supports various keys such as Primary Keys and Foreign Keys to maintain data integrity and consistency. Since 1995, many companies have used MySQL. Some of the organizations that use MySQL include GitHub, US Navy, NASA, Tesla, Netflix, WeChat, Facebook, Zendesk, Twitter, Zappos, YouTube, and Spotify.
Key Features of MySQL
MySQL is one of the first RDBMS that is popular for the past 26 years. Its regular updates and consistent performance efficiency are some of the main factors that determine its success even today. Some of the key features of MySQL are given below:
- It was one of the first Open-Source software in the market.
- It is highly scalable and flexible to all types of data and users.
- It offers high performance, availability, and scalability for all its users.
- It has robust transactional support and supports Web Development and can easily be embedded with Data Warehouses.
- It offers routing by using the MySQL Router but does not support Data Analytics.
- It has 1600 fork processes built in it.
With Firebase MySQL Integration, you can leverage the robust and dynamic nature of the Firebase platform with the efficiency of MySQL RDBMS, allowing you to build great applications.
Find details about some of the best MySQL ETL free tools from our guide here.
Methods to Set up Firebase MySQL Integration
There are 2 methods you can use to set up Firebase MySQL Integration:
Method 1: Using Hevo to Set Up Firebase MySQL Integration
Hevo, a No-code Data Pipeline helps you directly transfer data from 150+ other data sources including 40+ free sources like Firebase to databases such as MySQL, Data Warehouses, or a destination of your choice in a completely hassle-free & automated manner. Hevo is fully managed and completely automates the process of not only loading data from your desired source but also enriching the data and transforming it into an analysis-ready form without having to write a single line of code. Its fault-tolerant architecture ensures that the data is handled in a secure, consistent manner with zero data loss.
Hevo takes care of all your data preprocessing needs and lets you focus on key business activities and draw a much powerful insight on how to generate more leads, retain customers, and take your business to new heights of profitability. It provides a consistent & reliable solution to manage data in real-time and always have analysis-ready data in your desired destination.
Check out what makes Hevo amazing
- Wide Range of Connectors – Instantly connect and read data from 150+ sources including SaaS apps and databases, and precisely control pipeline schedules down to the minute.
- 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.
- Near Real-Time Replication – Get access to near real-time replication for all database sources with log-based replication. For SaaS applications, near real-time replication is subject to API limits.
- 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 – Say goodbye to complex and hidden pricing models. Hevo’s Transparent Pricing brings complete visibility to your ELT spend. Choose a plan based on your business needs. Stay in control with spend alerts and configurable credit limits for unforeseen spikes in the data flow.
- 24×7 Customer Support – With Hevo, you get more than just a platform; you get a partner for your pipelines. Discover peace with round-the-clock “Live Chat” within the platform. What’s more, you get 24×7 support even during the 14-day free trial.
- Security – Discover peace with end-to-end encryption and compliance with all major security certifications including HIPAA, GDPR, SOC-2.
Get started for Free with Hevo!
Method 2: Manual Firebase MySQL Integration
In this method of Firebase MySQL Integration, you’ll access your Firebase account to export your Firebase node data into a JSON format. Next, you convert that JSON file into a CSV file through an online converter. Finally, you import the CSV file onto the MySQL database.
To do this, you must have a Firebase and MySQL account. You will also need access to an online converter to convert the JSON file into a CSV file. Once you have done this, follow the steps given below:
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.
Image Source: Google Support
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.
Image Source: JSON-CSV Convertor
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.
Image Source: MySQL Tutorial
Image Source: MySQL Tutorial
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 include:
- 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.
To overcome these limitations and integrate Firebase and MySQL quickly and efficiently, you can use Hevo’s No-code Data Pipelines. Check out the next method to understand how Hevo can help you integrate them within minutes.
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. Overall, Firebase MySQL Integration can be set up using either the manual method or by using Hevo, but if time, ease of use, and minimal engineering requirements are parameters for you, using automated data platforms like Hevo can help you to set up Firebase MySQL Integration seamlessly!
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In case you want to integrate data from data sources like Firebase into your desired Database/destination such as MySQL in free and seamlessly visualize it in a BI tool of your choice, then Hevo is the right choice for you! It will help simplify the ETL and management process of both the data sources and destinations.
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Share your experience of setting up Firebase MySQL Integration in the comments section below!