This document discusses powering an API with GraphQL, Golang, and NoSQL databases. It outlines some limitations of RESTful APIs and how GraphQL provides more flexible client-server payloads and queries with fewer endpoints. GraphQL queries are processed in Go and integrated with the Couchbase NoSQL database, which allows flexible JSON schema and powerful N1QL queries. In summary, GraphQL and Couchbase provide an API with flexible responses, reduced endpoints, and powerful querying of JSON data stored in Couchbase.

1. Powering an API with GraphQL,
Golang, and NoSQL
Nic Raboy
Senior Developer Evangelist at HERE Technologies

2. The RESTful API

3. RESTful API

4. RESTful API with Multiple Related Endpoints

5. RESTful API
Nothing’s wrong with RESTful APIs, but they could be better!

6. RESTful API
• Too many API endpoints to remember
• Too many API endpoints to maintain
• Too much data to process
• Too large of data payloads

7. The GraphQL API

8. The Benefits of GraphQL
graphql.org
graphql.org

9. GraphQL

10. GraphQL

11. GraphQL
• Server to client payloads are flexible
• Client to server queries are flexible
• Minimal API endpoints to remember

12. Processing GraphQL in Go

13. GraphQL

14. GraphQL Data Model

15. GraphQL Query

16. GraphQL Query

17. GraphQL Query

18. GraphQL Endpoint

19. GraphQL cURL Request

20. Integrating a NoSQL Database

21. Couchbase: The Complete Database Solution
Infographic provided by Couchbase

22. 22
Couchbase Lite Overview
• Cross-platform support for all major operating systems and platforms
• Built native from the ground up
• 500kb for most platforms
• 256-bit AES full database encryption
Infographic provided by Couchbase

23. 23
Couchbase Server Overview
• Scale easily to thousands of nodes
• Consistent high performance that supports millions of concurrent users
• Flexible JSON data model
• 24x365 always-on availability
Infographic provided by Couchbase

24. 24
Couchbase Sync Gateway Overview
• Synchronize data between Couchbase Lite and Couchbase Server
• REST, Stream, Batch, and Event APIs
• Pluggable authentication
• Fine grained user and role based access control
• Elastically scalable in real-time
Infographic provided by Couchbase

25. The Power of the Flexible JSON Schema
• Ability to store data in
multiple ways
• De-normalized single
document, as opposed
to normalizing data
across multiple table
• Dynamic Schema to
add new values when
needed
Infographic provided by Couchbase

26. Couchbase

27. Couchbase

28. Couchbase

30. What is N1QL?
• Non-first (N1) Normal Form Query Language (QL)
• It is based on ANSI 92 SQL
• Its query engine is optimized for modern, highly parallel multi-core execution
• SQL-like Query Language
• Expressive, familiar, and feature-rich language for querying, transforming, and manipulating JSON data
• N1QL extends SQL to handle data that is:
• Nested: Contains nested objects, arrays
• Heterogeneous: Schema-optional, non-uniform
• Distributed: Partitioned across a cluster

31. N1QL (Expressive)
• Access to every part of JSON document
• Scalar & Aggregate functions
• Subqueries in the FROM clause
• Aggregation on arrays
Expressive, familiar, and feature-rich language for querying, transforming, and manipulating JSON data

32. N1QL (Familiar)
• SELECT * FROM bucket WHERE …
• INSERT single & multiple documents
• UPDATE any part of JSON document & use complex filter
• DELETE
• MERGE two sets of documents using traditional MERGE statement
• EXPLAIN to understand the query plan
• EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM bucket WHERE …
Expressive, familiar, and feature-rich language for querying, transforming, and manipulating JSON data

33. N1QL (Feature-Rich)
• Access to every part of JSON document
• Functions (Date, Pattern, Array, Conditional, etc)
• https://developer.couchbase.com/documentation/server/current/n1ql/n1ql-language-reference/functions.html
• JOIN, NEST, UNNEST
• Covering Index
• Prepared Statements
• USE KEYS, LIKE
Expressive, familiar, and feature-rich language for querying, transforming, and manipulating JSON data

34. Couchbase

35. Couchbase with Go

36. Couchbase with Go

37. Couchbase with Go

38. Couchbase with Go

39. Couchbase with Go

40. GraphQL Mutations

41. GraphQL Data Mutations

42. GraphQL Data Mutations

43. GraphQL Data Mutations

44. Closing Thoughts

45. Summary
• GraphQL limits the response payload
• GraphQL offers flexibility in API responses
• GraphQL cuts down the API endpoints
• GraphQL is not a substitute for backend management
• Couchbase is flexible with JSON
• Couchbase is powerful with N1QL queries

46. Getting Help
• GraphQL - graphql.org
• Couchbase - couchbase.com
• Twitter - @nraboy
• Blog - thepolyglotdeveloper.com

47. THANK YOU