Firebase is a platform developed by Google that is designed for creating web and mobile applications. Using Firebase, companies can use Google’s mobile platform to develop enterprise-grade applications to grow their business quickly. Another factor that plays an important role in Web & App development is the use of Databases.
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 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.
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. 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.
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
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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
For more information on how you can configure MySQL as the destination, read the documentation.
These two simple steps show you how to connect MySQL database to Firebase in just a few clicks.
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Method 2: Manual Method for 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
- 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 here.
Use Cases for MySQL Firebase Integration
There are several benefits associated with MySQL Firebase integration, resulting in the following use cases:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Scalability: If you have constantly expanding volumes of data in Firebase, integrating with MySQL can provide improved scalability without impacting performance.
- Data Science and Machine Learning: You can apply ML models to your Firebase data in MySQL for customer segmentation, predictive analytics, etc.
- 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. 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!
More useful blogs on the source and destination:
- Firebase REST API
- MySQL Binlog
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Share your experience of setting up Firebase MySQL Integration in the comments section below!
Aakash is a research enthusiast who was involved with multiple teaming bootcamps including Web Application Pen Testing, Network and OS Forensics, Threat Intelligence, Cyber Range and Malware Analysis/Reverse Engineering. His passion to the field drives him to create in-depth technical articles related to data industry.