Hi Friends,

This tutorial will guide to integrate Firebase in android application and store and sync data to Firebase through a very simple example.

We will discuss complete tutorial step by step .

Step 1- Firebase introduction

Firebase provides a backend service which manages our apps data on the server. We can store and sync data to Firebase cloud system.  Firebase uses an API that allows our application to synchronized data on Firebase cloud. To integrate Firebase, we need to create an account on Firebase.

Step 2- Create an App on Firebase

First, we will login on Firebase website then we will create an application on Firebase using following URL.

https://www.firebase.com/login/

Step 3- Add supporting Library

To use all Firebase features in our application, we need to integrate support library of Firebase in the project. So, open app's build.gradle file and add supporting library as a dependency.

dependencies {
compile 'com.firebase:firebase-client-android:2.5.1+'
}

Step6 - Add Firebase DataBase URL

To read and write data to Firebase database, we need to Firebase url.
/**
 * Call Firebase constructor and pass database url of firebase app.
 */
public void appReference(){
    // Replace numapp with your app name
    myFirebaseRef = new Firebase("https://numapp.firebaseio.com/");
}

Step 7- Insert data to Firebase database

To insert value to the database, we need to call setValue() method. We can store Boolean, Long, Double,Map<String, Object> or List data types to Firebase.

 /**
     * Create Hashmap object and put birthday and full name.
     * Add this hash map in "post" key value pair
     * store data on Firebase, by using setValue() method.
     */
    public void insertData(){

        Firebase usersRef  = myFirebaseRef.child("tester");

        Map<String, String> userMap = new HashMap<String, String>();
        userMap.put("birthYear", "2012");
        userMap.put("Name", "Tester");

        Map<String, Map<String, String>> users = new HashMap<String, Map<String, String>>();
        users.put("Post", userMap);
        usersRef.setValue(users);
    }

Step 8- Read store data from Firebase database

We can read stored data from Firebase database by adding Listener and handling the result event. We need to call an addValueEventListener() method of child value of Firebase database.
 

/**
     *  Adding Listener and handling the result by call addValueEventListener() method
     *  for specific value of Firebase database
     */
    public void childListener(){

        myFirebaseRef.child("users").addValueEventListener(new ValueEventListener() {

            @Override
            public void onDataChange(DataSnapshot snapshot) {
                Log.e("result#########3", snapshot.getValue() + "....." + snapshot.getKey());

                System.out.println(snapshot.getValue());
            }

            @Override
            public void onCancelled(FirebaseError error) {

                Log.e("The read failed: ", error.getMessage());
            }

        });
    }

Step 9- Store multiple json data

We can store multiple json data to Firebase database.

/**
 * Created a "MultiUser" child.
 * Created separate multiple object.
 * Adding all object into a new HaspMap and pass it into setValue() method
 */
 public void multiChild(){
 
     Firebase usersRef  = myFirebaseRef.child("MultiUser");
 
     Map<String, Object> name1 = new HashMap<String, Object>();
     name1.put("name", "Tester1");
 
     Map<String, Object> name2 = new HashMap<String, Object>();
     name2.put("name", "Tester2");
 
     Map<String, Object> nickname = new HashMap<String, Object>();
 
     nickname.put("abc", name1);
     nickname.put("xyz", name2);
 
     usersRef.setValue(nickname);
 }

Step 10- Updating specific field

If we have need to update any specific field in Firebase table then we have to call  updateChildren() method instead of setValue() method.

/**
 * Update MultiUser child node data
 */
public void updateData(){
 
    Firebase usersRef = myFirebaseRef.child("MultiUser");
 
    Firebase alanRef = usersRef.child("Tester1");
    Map<String, Object> nickname = new HashMap<String, Object>();
    nickname.put("name", "Android Developer");
    alanRef.updateChildren(nickname);
}