graphql

GraphQL Skill

Summary

GraphQL is a query language and runtime for APIs that enables clients to request exactly the data they need. It provides a strongly-typed schema, single endpoint architecture, and eliminates over-fetching/under-fetching problems common in REST APIs.

When to Use

• Building flexible APIs for multiple client types (web, mobile, IoT)
• Complex data requirements with nested relationships
• Mobile-first applications needing bandwidth efficiency
• Reducing API versioning complexity
• Real-time data with subscriptions
• Microservices aggregation and federation
• Developer experience with strong typing and introspection

Quick Start

1. Define Schema (SDL)

# schema.graphql
type User {
  id: ID!
  name: String!
  email: String!
  posts: [Post!]!
}

type Post {
  id: ID!
  title: String!
  content: String!
  author: User!
  publishedAt: DateTime
}

type Query {
  user(id: ID!): User
  users: [User!]!
  post(id: ID!): Post
}

type Mutation {
  createPost(title: String!, content: String!, authorId: ID!): Post!
  updatePost(id: ID!, title: String, content: String): Post!
  deletePost(id: ID!): Boolean!
}

2. Write Resolvers (TypeScript + Apollo Server)

import { ApolloServer } from '@apollo/server';
import { startStandaloneServer } from '@apollo/server/standalone';
import { readFileSync } from 'fs';

// Load schema
const typeDefs = readFileSync('./schema.graphql', 'utf-8');

// Mock data
const users = [
  { id: '1', name: 'Alice', email: '[email protected]' },
  { id: '2', name: 'Bob', email: '[email protected]' },
];

const posts = [
  { id: '1', title: 'GraphQL Intro', content: 'Learning GraphQL...', authorId: '1' },
  { id: '2', title: 'Apollo Server', content: 'Building APIs...', authorId: '1' },
];

// Resolvers
const resolvers = {
  Query: {
    user: (_, { id }) => users.find(u => u.id === id),
    users: () => users,
    post: (_, { id }) => posts.find(p => p.id === id),
  },

  Mutation: {
    createPost: (_, { title, content, authorId }) => {
      const post = {
        id: String(posts.length + 1),
        title,
        content,
        authorId,
      };
      posts.push(post);
      return post;
    },

    updatePost: (_, { id, title, content }) => {
      const post = posts.find(p => p.id === id);
      if (!post) throw new Error('Post not found');
      if (title) post.title = title;
      if (content) post.content = content;
      return post;
    },

    deletePost: (_, { id }) => {
      const index = posts.findIndex(p => p.id === id);
      if (index === -1) return false;
      posts.splice(index, 1);
      return true;
    },
  },

  User: {
    posts: (user) => posts.filter(p => p.authorId === user.id),
  },

  Post: {
    author: (post) => users.find(u => u.id === post.authorId),
  },
};

// Create server
const server = new ApolloServer({ typeDefs, resolvers });

startStandaloneServer(server, {
  listen: { port: 4000 },
}).then(({ url }) => {
  console.log(`🚀 Server ready at ${url}`);
});