GraphQL: Take control of your data!

Tired of an API returning either too much or too little data? Discover GraphQL, the modern data query language. You get exactly what you need – no excess, no shortage!

GraphQL is a flexible and efficient data query language developed by Facebook in 2012 and open-sourced in 2015. It offers a new approach to managing APIs, allowing clients to request exactly the data they need, without any unnecessary data.

Where does the name GraphQL come from?

The name GraphQL comes from the abbreviation of Graph Query Language. In the real world, a graph is one of the best tools for describing the relationships within data structures.

The "QL" stands for a query language, similar to SQL – Structured Query Language. GraphQL is also similar to SQL in that both languages are declarative, meaning the query initiator (the data requester) defines what data is needed, rather than specifying how to actually retrieve or generate that data. The "QL" name can be somewhat misleading because, with GraphQL, we can not only perform data queries but also make data modifications (mutations).

Why was it created?

GraphQL was created because traditional REST APIs often provided either too much (unnecessary) data or too little data (requiring multiple service calls to gather the necessary information) to clients. A REST endpoint typically returns data for a specific resource in a fixed structure, which often forces clients to make additional requests or perform extra data processing. GraphQL solves this problem by allowing clients to specify exactly which data they want to retrieve.

What are the advantages of GraphQL?

Flexible queries: Clients can request exactly the data they want to use in a single request.
Less network traffic: Since there is no need for multiple endpoints, unnecessary data and network load are reduced. Unified data model: The GraphQL server operates as a single endpoint, providing a central data model (schema) for clients.
Language and platform-independent: It can be used with many programming languages (Java, JavaScript, C#, Python, Ruby, ...).
Better performance and speed: Optimized data queries reduce network latency and server load.

When is it worth using?

GraphQL is especially useful in enterprise architectures where multiple data sources need to be managed, or where different clients require different data structures.

Typical use cases:

Mobile and web applications, where network data traffic is a critical factor
Microservices architectures, where data needs to be gathered from many different systems
Data-intensive applications, such as analytical platforms
Integrated enterprise systems

Many large companies use GraphQL, including Facebook, GitHub, Shopify, and Netflix. GraphQL offers a scalable and flexible data management solution that meets the complex needs of large enterprises.