GraphQL: A solution for connecting data

You may wonder why a startup like Hasura(@hasurahq) is able to raise almost $10 million to simplify GraphQL for developers. In that same breath, I should say I am very grateful to developers like Christian Nwamba(@codebeast ) who are helping developers understand these concepts. Before we talk about what it can do, though, let's talk about what it is.

GraphQL is an open-source query and data manipulation language for APIs.
It, presently, contains the five built-in types:

1. String
2. Boolean
3. Int
4. Float
5. ID

These data types provide a foundation for building schemas or documented representations of data entities and their interactions.

So where does GraphQL fit into your current architecture? Putting a GraphQL server in front of a data source can help create minimal architecture. GraphQL can be used as a light wrapper around existing APIs. In other words, GraphQL APIs allow us to efficiently connect data—reducing complexity. Thinking in graphs is about thinking about the data and the connections among the different entities.

References:

1. Hasura raises $9.9M Series A to simplify GraphQL for developers. https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/26/hasura-raises-9-9m-series-a-to-simplify-graphql-for-developers/. Last Accessed: 4/20/2020.
2. Get Started Building GraphQL APIs With Node. https://css-tricks.com/get-started-building-graphql-apis-with-node/. Last Accessed: 4/20/2020.
3. Advice from a GraphQL Expert. https://www.netlify.com/blog/2020/01/21/advice-from-a-graphql-expert/. Last Accessed: 4/20/2020.