What is GraphQL? The Complete Guide
GraphQL is a query language created by Facebook to improve on REST APIs. REST was an old way to share information between two different systems
GraphQL has been one of the most talked about and influential technologies in the past few years. You may not know what it is or how it can help you, but if you're a developer, you probably know it's important.
GraphQL is a query language created by Facebook to improve on REST APIs. REST (Representational state transfer) was an old way to share information between two different systems. GraphQL improves upon that technology by providing a better way for clients and servers to communicate with each other. It does this by presenting client with all the data they need at once, instead of limiting them to specific fields like REST does.
This article will give you some insight into what GraphQL is, how it works, and why developers are using it more than ever before.
What is GraphQL?
GraphQL is a query language created by Facebook to improve on REST APIs. REST (Representational state transfer) was an old way to share information between two different systems. GraphQL improves upon that technology by providing a better way for clients and servers to communicate with each other. It does this by presenting client with all the data they need at once, instead of limiting them to specific fields like REST does.
How does GraphQL work?
GraphQL works by sending queries to a server on behalf of the client. The server then sends back the requested information in the form of objects.
This may sound like REST, but there is one key difference: GraphQL is not limited to specific fields. REST forces you to only request the fields you need, while GraphQL provides all data at once. That way, clients can grab everything they need without having to make several requests.
With REST, clients are limited to specific fields and have to request that information from a server. This can be a problem because servers may not know exactly what information a client needs ahead of time. With GraphQL, this issue doesn't exist because servers provide all relevant data at once.
Clients no longer have to worry about asking for too much information or too little information from a server. You can get everything you want with just one request!
Why is GraphQL important for developers?
GraphQL is important for developers because it improves the way that different systems communicate with each other. The old method of communication was REST, and while it still has an important place in the world of API development, GraphQL is a better solution for most situations.
REST works by limiting clients to specific fields in order to get the data they're looking for. With REST, it's possible that users don't need all the information available, but they can only ask for what's necessary. The downside to this is that if there are any changes to the API, REST often requires manual updates to code on both server and client side before anything will work again.
With GraphQL, clients get everything they need at once and then decide which pieces of data they'll use. This means that if an API changes or information is added or removed from the system, GraphQL will automatically update the app rather than requiring code updates on both server and client side. This makes development much easier and more efficient.
Conclusion
Developers love GraphQL because it provides an expressive and flexible API for fetching data. It's as easy as sending a request and parsing the response. This is the perfect tool for developers who want to create a new API, as well as those who want to build a new front-end application.
It's also great for companies that need to provide data to other services, like a public API. When done right, GraphQL can be a sustainable option that can offer both developers and companies flexibility and scalability.