You may have heard of GraphQL.
GraphQL is a language for your API that was built and open-sourced by Facebook in 2015. It is an alternative to REST (Representational State Transfer), which is a set of architectural principles for building web services.
There are several reasons why GraphQL may be a better choice for your business than REST:
1. Flexibility
One of the main benefits of GraphQL is that it allows the client to request exactly the data it needs, rather than having the server determine what data to send. This means the client can request multiple resources in a single query, and the server can return only the requested data. This can be more efficient than making multiple REST API calls to get the same data.
2. Strongly-typed Schema
GraphQL has a strongly-typed schema, which means that the server can validate the client’s queries and provide clear error messages if there is a problem. This can make it easier to debug and maintain your API.
3. Better handling of complex data
In a REST API, it can be difficult to retrieve related data in a single call. For example, if you want to retrieve a list of users and their associated orders, you may need to make multiple API calls to get all the data. With GraphQL, you can specify exactly what data you want in a single query, which can make it easier to handle complex data relationships.
4. Better for mobile development
Mobile devices often have limited bandwidth and battery life, so it’s important to minimize the number of API calls and the amount of data transferred. With GraphQL, the client can request only the data it needs, which can make it a more efficient choice for mobile development.
5. Extending your API
In a REST API, it can be difficult to add new fields or make changes to the response format without breaking existing clients. With GraphQL, the client controls the data it receives, so the server can add new fields or change the response format without affecting existing clients.
Expert opinion
While GraphQL does have some benefits over REST, it’s important to consider whether it is the right choice for your specific use case. Both GraphQL and REST have their own strengths and trade-offs, and the right choice will depend on the needs of your application.
— Prageeth Silva
Get in touch if you have questions or need help with deciding whether GraphQL is the right choice for your business, we can help you!
