3. Introduction: What are we talking about?
SDL-first & code-first GraphQL schema construction
Code-first GraphQL server development with Prisma
Agenda
1
2
3
5. Anatomy of a GraphQL server
Server (e.g. HTTP)
Process HTTP requests, extract
operation, return HTTP response ...
GraphQL schema
Operations + Data structures
(types, inputs, enums, ...)
6. GraphQL schemas come
● Type definitions
(root) types, inputs, enums, …
● Resolver functions
CONSISTS OF
graphql-jsfrom
const schema = new GraphQLSchema({
query: new GraphQLObjectType({
name: 'Query',
fields: {
user: {
type: UserType,
resolve: () => ({
id: 1,
name: "Alice"
})
}
7. A GraphQL schema is at the
core of every GraphQL server
graphql-js
const UserType = new GraphQLObjectType({
name: 'User',
fields: {
id: { type: GraphQLID },
name: { type: GraphQLString }
}
})
const schema = new GraphQLSchema({
query: new GraphQLObjectType({
name: 'Query',
fields: {
user: {
type: UserType,
resolve: () => ({ id: 1, name: "Alice" })
}
}
})
})
express-graphql
const app = express()
app.use(‘/graphql’, graphqlHTTP({ schema }))
app.listen(4000, () => {
console.log(“Server ready at http://localhost:4000”)
})
graphql-yoga
const server = new GraphQLServer({ schema })
server.start(() => {
console.log(“Server ready at http://localhost:4000”)
})
apollo-server
const server = new ApolloServer({ schema })
server.listen({ port: 4000 }, () =>
console.log(“Server ready at http://localhost:4000”)
)
GRAPHQL SCHEMA GRAPHQL SERVERS (HTTP)
8. This talk is about the
different ways to create a
GraphQLSchema
12. Schema-first & code-first
CLARIFYING TERMINOLOGY
Schema-first
GraphQL schema is defined as a string
and resolvers are mapped to it
Code-first (resolver-first)
GraphQL schema is defined and
implemented programmatically
13. Schema-first
GraphQL schema is defined as a string
and resolvers are mapped to it
Code-first (resolver-first)
GraphQL schema is defined and
implemented programmatically
CLARIFYING TERMINOLOGY
SDL
Schema-driven
Schema design is a priority in the development process
SDL-first & code-first
16. SDL-first has great benefits ...
✓ Schema definition as API documentation
✓ Schema definition as cross-team communication tool
✓ Schema definition enables quick mocking of an API
✓ GraphQL schema-design is not an afterthought
17. … but also some issues
How many errors can you find
in this GraphQL schema
implementation?
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
SOLUTION 💡
https://pris.ly/b/graphqlgen
18. SDL-first problems & tools to fix them
Problem
✘ Inconsistencies
✘ Modularization
✘ Importing
✘ Composition
✘ Tooling / IDE support
Solution
✓ Static analysis, code generation
(e.g. graphql-code-generator, ...)
✓ graphql-modules
✓ graphql-import
✓ Schema stitching/federation, ...
✓ VS Code plugins, graphql-tag, ...
21. The only tool you need is your
programming language
Problem
✘ Inconsistencies
✘ Modularization
✘ Importing
✘ Composition
✘ Tooling / IDE support
Solution (SDL-first)
✓ Static analysis, code generation
(e.g. graphql-code-generator, ...)
✓ graphql-modules
✓ graphql-import
✓ Schema stitching/federation, ...
✓ VS Code plugins, graphql-tag, ...
✓ Programming language
Solution (Code-first)
✓ Programming language
✓ Programming language
✓ Programming language
✓ Programming language
22. SDL doesn’t go away when
using a code-first approach!
(It just becomes a generated artifact instead of
being manually maintained)
23. Reviewing SDL-first benefits
Benefit
Schema definition as API documentation
SDL-first Code-first
Schema definition as cross-team communication tool
Schema definition enables quick mocking of an API
GraphQL schema-design is not an afterthought ��
24. Code-first is idiotiomatic to
programming languages
Scala
(Sangria)
Python
(graphene)
Ruby
(graphql-ruby)