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GraphQL
A visual introduction
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Manish Poduval
1/10 rootlearn.com
root
What is it ?
A Query Language
In simple terms, it is a way of fetching only the data
that you need from the server.
Manish Poduval
2/10 rootlearn.com
root
Techincally it’s an API standard/specification and can
be implemented irrespective of the tech stack
Check the specs at
specs.graphql.org
Visualizing it, you could see it as this way.
GraphQL
Client Server
Manish Poduval
3/10 rootlearn.com
root
How is it better than REST API’s
Well, let’s say you’re building a blogging website
Assume you’re using 3 APIs to get data
An API to fetch user
Manish’s posts details with extra info
lorem ipsum lorem some random post
API to fetch posts
ipsumlorem ipsum lorem ipsum lorem
ipsumlorem ipsum
March 21st Explaining with
pokemon is fun
Followers:
API to fetch followers
details
Manish Poduval
4/10 rootlearn.com
root
with GraphQL you’d only need 1
HTTP POST
GraphQL
Client Server
How only a single endpoint ?
It does that using a GraphQL
strongly typed schema
Schema
Manish Poduval
5/10 rootlearn.com
root
The Schema Definition Language (SDL)
The SDL consists of a few basic parts. With the SDL we
can create our schema.
A schema defines the shape of our data
SDL
Types Mutation
Fields Scalars Query
type Worm {
A simple “Worm” schema id: ID
using Types and Fields name: String
Manish Poduval
6/10 rootlearn.com
root
Thinking in graphs . . .
You can also establish relations between types
type Worm {
type Home {
id: ID
id: ID
name: String
title: String
loc: [Home]
}
Manish Poduval
7/10 rootlearn.com
root
There are two operations you can do
Queries Mutations
They are used to They are used to create.
retrieve data update or delete data
{
worms {
mutation {
names
createWorm(legs: “7”)
}
}
}
Fetches the names from a Would create a worm
worms list API entry
There is also “Subscriptions”.
(Topic for another day )
Manish Poduval
8/10 rootlearn.com
root
You get the picture right ?
Our query
worm(color: “green”) {
body
GraphQL
Manish Poduval
9/10 rootlearn.com
root
GraphQL has it’s benefits
Can be used in any No over-fetching or
tech stack under-fecthing data
Suitable for smaller
Tailored requests networks
GraphQL
Strongly typed API growth without
versioning
Manish Poduval
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