firebase-data-connect

name	firebase-data-connect
description	Use when setting up Data Connect, writing GraphQL queries/mutations, configuring generated SDKs, handling offline, or applying security rules.

Firebase Data Connect Skill

This skill defines how to correctly use Firebase Data Connect in Flutter applications.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Setting up and configuring Firebase Data Connect in a Flutter project.
• Designing schemas, queries, and mutations for Data Connect.
• Implementing generated SDK calls for typed queries and mutations.
• Handling network failures, data inconsistencies, and offline scenarios.
• Applying security and performance best practices.

---

1. Setup and Configuration

Step 1: Install the package

flutter pub add firebase_data_connect

Step 2: Import and initialize

import 'package:firebase_data_connect/firebase_data_connect.dart';
import 'package:firebase_core/firebase_core.dart';
import 'firebase_options.dart';

await Firebase.initializeApp(
  options: DefaultFirebaseOptions.currentPlatform,
);

Step 3: Define a schema in dataconnect/schema/schema.gql

type Movie @table {
  id: UUID! @default(expr: "uuidV4()")
  title: String!
  releaseYear: Int
  genre: String
  rating: Float
  description: String
}

Step 4: Define queries and mutations in dataconnect/connector/queries.gql

query ListMovies @auth(level: PUBLIC) {
  movies {
    id
    title
    releaseYear
    genre
    rating
  }
}

mutation CreateMovie($title: String!, $releaseYear: Int, $genre: String) @auth(level: USER) {
  movie_insert(data: {
    title: $title
    releaseYear: $releaseYear
    genre: $genre
  })
}

mutation DeleteMovie($id: UUID!) @auth(level: USER) {
  movie_delete(id: $id)
}

Step 5: Generate the typed Flutter SDK

flutterfire generate

This produces typed Dart classes for each query and mutation.

Platform support:

Platform	Support
iOS	Full
Android	Full
Web	Full
Other platforms	Not supported

---

2. Executing Queries and Mutations

Use the generated SDK to execute typed queries and mutations:

// Execute a query
final result = await ListMoviesQuery().execute();
final movies = result.data.movies;

// Execute a mutation
await CreateMovieMutation(title: 'Inception', releaseYear: 2010, genre: 'Sci-Fi')
    .execute();

// Delete by ID
await DeleteMovieMutation(id: movieId).execute();

Real-Time Listeners

Subscribe to query changes for live updates:

final subscription = ListMoviesQuery().subscribe();
subscription.listen((result) {
  final movies = result.data.movies;
  // Update UI with latest movie list
});

---

3. Performance and Caching

• Design efficient queries requesting only the fields needed to minimize data transfer.
• Implement pagination for large datasets:

  query ListMoviesPaginated($limit: Int!, $offset: Int!) @auth(level: PUBLIC) {
    movies(limit: $limit, offset: $offset) {
      id
      title
      releaseYear
    }
  }
  

• Use real-time listeners judiciously to avoid unnecessary network usage.
• Consider offline capabilities for critical app functionality by caching query results locally.

---

4. Error Handling

Wrap Data Connect calls in try/catch to handle network and validation errors:

try {
  final result = await ListMoviesQuery().execute();
  return result.data.movies;
} on FirebaseException catch (e) {
  if (e.code == 'unavailable') {
    // Handle offline — return cached data
    return _localCache.getMovies();
  }
  rethrow;
}

• Implement retry logic with exponential backoff for transient connection errors.
• Provide meaningful error messages for data validation failures.
• Monitor error rates and investigate recurring issues.

---

5. Security

• Use @auth directives in schema to control access levels (PUBLIC, USER, NO_ACCESS).
• Integrate Firebase Authentication for user-based access control.
• Validate data on both client and server sides.
• Follow data privacy best practices when handling user information.

---

References

• Firebase Data Connect documentation
• Data Connect Flutter SDK reference