Introduction to graphql-request

graphql-request is a minimal GraphQL client for Node.js and browsers. It allows you to send GraphQL queries with just a single HTTP request and offers a simple API to execute queries and mutations against a GraphQL server.

Getting Started

To start using graphql-request, first, install it:

npm install graphql-request

Basic Usage

Here’s a basic example of how you can use graphql-request:

  const { GraphQLClient, gql } = require('graphql-request');
  const endpoint = 'https://api.spacex.land/graphql/';

  const graphQLClient = new GraphQLClient(endpoint, {
    headers: {
      authorization: 'Bearer MY_TOKEN',
    },
  });

  const query = gql`
    {
      launchesPast(limit: 5) {
        mission_name
        launch_date_utc
        rocket {
          rocket_name
        }
      }
    }
  `;

  graphQLClient.request(query).then((data) => console.log(data));

Performing Mutations

You can also perform mutations with graphql-request:

  const mutation = gql`
    mutation($name: String!, $rocket: String!, $date: String!) {
      insert_launches(objects: { mission_name: $name, rocket: $rocket, launch_date_utc: $date }) {
        returning {
          id
          mission_name
        }
      }
    }
  `;

  const variables = {
    name: 'Test Mission',
    rocket: 'Falcon 9',
    date: '2023-08-30T14:50:00+00:00',
  };

  graphQLClient.request(mutation, variables).then((data) => console.log(data));

Using Fragments

Fragments allow you to reuse parts of your GraphQL queries:

  const fragment = gql`
    fragment RocketDetails on Rocket {
      rocket_name
      rocket_type
    }
  `;

  const queryWithFragment = gql`
    {
      launchesPast(limit: 5) {
        mission_name
        rocket {
          ...RocketDetails
        }
      }
    }
    ${fragment}
  `;

  graphQLClient.request(queryWithFragment).then((data) => console.log(data));

Handling Errors

Handling errors with graphql-request is straightforward:

  graphQLClient
    .request(query)
    .then((data) => console.log(data))
    .catch((error) => console.error(error));

App Example

Below is an example of a simple application using graphql-request:

  const express = require('express');
  const { GraphQLClient, gql } = require('graphql-request');

  const app = express();
  const port = 3000;
  const endpoint = 'https://api.spacex.land/graphql/';
  const graphQLClient = new GraphQLClient(endpoint);

  app.get('/launches', async (req, res) => {
    try {
      const query = gql`
        {
          launchesPast(limit: 5) {
            mission_name
            launch_date_utc
            rocket {
              rocket_name
            }
          }
        }
      `;
      const data = await graphQLClient.request(query);
      res.json(data);
    } catch (error) {
      res.status(500).json({ error: error.message });
    }
  });

  app.listen(port, () => {
    console.log(`Server listening at http://localhost:${port}`);
  });

And that’s just the beginning. graphql-request makes it easy to interact with GraphQL APIs with a clean, simple syntax and powerful features. Give it a try in your next project!

Hash: fe2ba32927e7dc919a533b63177e7c37beebc2ee1edddfb5b6068f2919ff654e