graphql.md

GraphQL is an alternative to REST API. It's a typed query language.

It allows flexible querying from the front-end i.e. client.

It solves the problem of needing just a piece of data, without getting all the data from an end-point.

REST API would handle this for a GET /user request with:

• GET /user-slim - Lots of routes and updating.
• GET /user?data=slim - The API becomes complex

GraphQL would handle this with POST /user by sending this query expression in the body.

{
    query {           // operation type
        user {        // operation end-point
            name      // requested field
            age
        }
    }
}

GraphQL always uses POST because it sends the query expression.

REST API	GraphQL
GET	query operation type
POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE	mutation operation type
Routes	Query definitions
Controllers	Resolvers