Firebase

Firebase is a highly durable database that can scale automatically to handle your application’s load. This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to configure and use Firebase services, including Firebase Auth (User Management), Firebase Realtime Database, and Firestore, using DronaHQ.

Prerequisite

1. Firebase Configuration Details: Obtain the necessary configuration details from the Firebase console. Navigate to your Project settings and select the Service accounts tab. Click on the Firebase Admin SDK icon, and generate a new private key. This action will result in the download of a JSON file. Extract the Private key from the downloaded JSON file, as you will need it for configuring the Firebase Connector.

   

   Obtaining details from Firebase Console

2. Optionally, Google Cloud Platform Account Key: If preferred, you can create an account key from your Google Cloud Platform (GCP) console. Follow these steps:

   1. Select a project in your GCP console.
   2. Click on "Create Service Account" and assign the role of "Firebase Admin."
   3. Opt for a JSON Key type and proceed to download the generated file. Ensure to keep this file accessible, as it will be required for configuring the connector.

Configuring Connector in DronaHQ

Configure your database category using the provided details. Validate connection with Test connection and Save settings for secure database setup.

General

Field	Description
Firebase Database URL	Enter the URL of your Firebase Realtime Database, e.g., https://your-project.firebaseio.com.
Private Key	Paste the contents of the Private Key obtained from the Firebase console or GCP console.

Firebase Configuration details

Admin

Advanced Option	Description
Connection Options	The key and value connection options in database configuration refer to specific settings (keys) and their corresponding values that dictate how the application connects to the database
Whitelist IP	Enhance security by restricting database access to specific whitelisted IP addresses.

Adding Queries for Firebase

Upon successful configuration of the Firebase connector, you gain the ability to handle user-related operations, and you can adeptly manage data-related operations.

1. Define Query Name: Provide a unique name for your data management query. This name will serve as an identifier in your Connector Library for easy access and management.

2. Service: Select from the dropdown of list of services provided by the configured Firebase connector. The services available are: firestore, firebase auth and firebase real time db.

   

   Firebase Auth

3. Action : Select the action you want to perform with respect to the selected service. Depending on the selected service, various actions are available to opt from while adding a query.

Action	Description
Firestore
Query Firestore	Execute a query to retrieve documents from a Firestore collection based on specified criteria.
Insert Document	Insert a new document into a Firestore collection.
Update Document	Update an existing document within a Firestore collection.
Get Document by ID	Retrieve a document from a Firestore collection by its unique identifier.
Delete Document	Delete a document from a Firestore collection.
Get Collections	Retrieve a list of collections within a Firestore database.
Query Collection Groups	Execute a query to retrieve documents from multiple collections that share the same ID.
Firebase Auth
List Users	Retrieve a list of users from the Firebase Authentication system.
Get User by UID	Retrieve a user by their unique identifier (UID).
Get User by Phone Number	Retrieve a user by their associated phone number.
Get User by Email	Retrieve a user by their associated email address.
Get User by Provider UID	Retrieve a user by their unique identifier assigned by an authentication provider.
Create a User	Create a new user account in the Firebase Authentication system.
Update a User	Update an existing user's attributes or properties.
Delete a User	Delete a user account from the Firebase Authentication system.
Firebase Realtime DB
Query Firebase data	Retrieve data from the Firebase Realtime Database based on specified criteria.
Set Data	Add or update data at a specific path within the Firebase Realtime Database.
Update Data	Modify existing data at a specific path within the Firebase Realtime Database.
Append data to the list	Add new data to an existing list at a specific path within the Firebase Realtime Database.
Delete data	Remove data from a specific path within the Firebase Realtime Database.

4. Set Additional Parameters: Depending on your specific requirements, utilize optional parameters to refine the performing query. Customize the query by implementing filters, sorting criteria, or other pertinent options.

5. Test and Execute: Prior to finalizing, conduct a test run to verify the query's functionality. Ensure that the data appears correctly within the designated service in your Firebase connector.

tip

Use double curly brackets for dynamic variables. Test with sample values before saving. Link dynamic variables to controls/actions and more for runtime use.

Saved queries appear under your connector in Connector Library.

caution

You cannot edit the service of a query, once the query is already tested and added.

Using Firebase Connector

Service - Firestore

Insert Document

1. Access Data Management Section or Control Action:

   • Begin by navigating to the data management section or the control action where you want to interact with your Firestore database.

2. Select Firebase Firestore Connector:

   • Choose the Firebase Firestore Connector from your available options.

   • Opt for the "Insert Document" action to add new data to your Firestore collection.

   • Provide a Document ID if desired; otherwise, leave it blank for auto-generation.

   • Ensure that the data is in valid JSON format.

     

     Firestore Insert Document action

3. Configuration for Data Input:

   • Configure the action by providing the necessary data in a valid JSON format.

   • This could involve collecting data from a form submission and adding it using the action.

     

     Firestore Form Example

4. Execute the Action Flow:

   • Configure the Connector within the Action Flow or Server Side actions.
   • Link the action to a button click or relevant trigger.
   • When the form is submitted, the action flow triggers the Connector to save data to your Firestore collection.

5. Confirmation and Display:

   • After the action is executed, use popup or toast actions to display relevant information, such as the created document ID.
   • You can also display the added data in a table grid or any other appropriate visualization.

Service - Firebase Auth (User Management)

Get User By Provider UID

1. Access Data Bind Section or Control Action:

   • Navigate to the data bind section of the control.

2. Select Firebase Auth (User Management) Connector from Data Bind Options -> Quick Select -> User Queries:

   • Choose Firebase Auth (User Management) Connector from the available options.
   • Opt for the "Get User By Provider UID" query to retrieve user details using the provider UID.
   • Click on "Continue" to proceed.

Get User By Provider UID query

3. Test and Finalize:
   • Execute the query by testing it with dynamic values for the provider UID.
   • Upon successful testing, finalize the configuration.

By adhering to these steps, you can seamlessly harness the capabilities of the Firebase Auth (User Management) Connector to retrieve user details based on the provider UID. This enhances your ability to work with user data effectively within your application, providing an optimized user management experience.

Update a User

The Update a User action provides a method to modify attributes of an established Firebase Authentication user. This action requires the user's UID (unique identifier) along with an object containing the desired profile information or user properties to update within the user account's data.

When updating user details by referencing their UID, you can dynamically provide all values, enabling users to conveniently pass the necessary details as parameters to the connector.

In the example below, we demonstrate updating the email address of a user through their UID.

Updating a user's email address

To provide details to make the call, you can use various input controls and actions. Later with controls you can showcase the end result of data after changes.

We'll be using input field to get the UID and emails to pass it as keyword parameters and display the final response in JSON viewer.

Service - Firebase Realtime Database

Appending Data to a List

To append data to a list within the Firebase Realtime Database using the Firebase Realtime Database Connector, follow these steps:

1. Access Data Bind Section or Control Action:

   • Navigate to the data bind section of the control.

2. Select Firebase Realtime Database Connector from Data Bind Options -> Quick Select -> Data Queries:

   • Choose Firebase Realtime Database Connector from the available options.
   • Select the "Append data to a list" action to add new data to an existing list.
   • Click on "Continue" to proceed.

     

     Firebase Realtime Database with append query.

3. Configure Data Input:

   • Specify the Database Ref, which is the reference to the existing list where you want to append data.
   • Provide the values to append as dynamic values. This can include any type of data, arrays, or objects.

4. Integrate with Controls and Actions:

   • Integrate this query into your workflow by adding controls like a TextInput field for user input.
   • Create an action flow that triggers the Connector action to append data.
   • Configure the connector to pass the value from the TextInput control as input.

Append data workflow