Demystifying GraphQL
or
Why I'm probably never making another REST API ever again
(yet another) Todo App
Data Models
A Simple GraphQL Server
Enough slides, show the GQL schema.
Takeaways
- Schema should reflect the mental model
- Bidirectional relationships encouraged
- Resolvers are not magic
- small/medium learning curve
- code generation for type safety helps
- Fully denormalized types are great
- foreign keys are a red flag
Sure does seem like the client can ask for a lot....
Data Loaders
When should you use GraphQL?
- When you're building a server to power UI
- especially if multiple UIs
- Consider using over a REST API
- Provide a single server for accessing data across microservices / legacy APIs / databases / etc...
When does GraphQL make less sense?
- Communication between backend services
- Data Science / Business Analysts
-
It can work, but you’re most likely forcing them to do their own ETL
-
Probably better off giving them access to DBs (if possible)
-
- Public facing APIs (although this is changing...)