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GraphQL makes a ton of sense when your queries use data from multiple different and possibly interdependent source APIs. It allows you to hide all manners of ug

GraphQL makes a ton of sense when your queries use data from multiple different and possibly interdependent source APIs. It allows you to hide all manners of ugly hacks behind a single, neat, cacheable endpoint that can even act as a normalisation layer.

shantly 7y ago
I don’t get why GraphQL would be better at that particular use case than anything else, really. Capable of it, sure, but shifting the query-crafting to the client doesn’t really have any effect on that problem. [edit] I just mean it seems unrelated to that problem, as far as I can tell.
beaker52 7y ago
What you've said is true of any aggregating intermediate API, graphql or not. If you don't want to make n calls, you make a single API endpoint that makes two calls for your one, just like when you compose functions in code. You don't need GraphQL for this. GraphQL only really brings a novel way of defining what data you want. That's it. GraphQL fixes none of your data fetching problems if you're responsible for the actual end to end solution - if anything it gives you more. It's marketed at front end devs, who in my experience, really love _easy_ solutions, rather than simple. As far as I can see, there is precisely one scenario where GraphQL makes sense - and that's where you are trying to build a lot of separate frontend clients which will consume the same large, complicated data model. And unless both of those things are true, GraphQL is going to cost you more than the value it adds.
- shantly 7y ago
  > As far as I can see, there is precisely one scenario where GraphQL makes sense - and that's where you are building an unbounded number of front end clients which will consume a complex data model. And unless both of those things are true, GraphQL is going to cost you more than the value it adds. That matches my impression. Frankly I don’t think it’s very interesting. But damned if 3/4 the webtech-focused job postings I see don’t list “graphQL experience” under the nice-to-haves.
- jholman 7y ago
  > As far as I can see, there is precisely one scenario where GraphQL makes sense - and that's where you are trying to build a lot of separate frontend clients which will consume the same large, complicated data model. And unless both of those things are true, GraphQL is going to cost you more than the value it adds. Exactly

shantly 7y ago

I don’t get why GraphQL would be better at that particular use case than anything else, really. Capable of it, sure, but shifting the query-crafting to the client doesn’t really have any effect on that problem. [edit] I just mean it seems unrelated to that problem, as far as I can tell.

beaker52 7y ago

What you've said is true of any aggregating intermediate API, graphql or not. If you don't want to make n calls, you make a single API endpoint that makes two calls for your one, just like when you compose functions in code. You don't need GraphQL for this. GraphQL only really brings a novel way of defining what data you want. That's it. GraphQL fixes none of your data fetching problems if you're responsible for the actual end to end solution - if anything it gives you more. It's marketed at front end devs, who in my experience, really love _easy_ solutions, rather than simple. As far as I can see, there is precisely one scenario where GraphQL makes sense - and that's where you are trying to build a lot of separate frontend clients which will consume the same large, complicated data model. And unless both of those things are true, GraphQL is going to cost you more than the value it adds.

shantly 7y ago
> As far as I can see, there is precisely one scenario where GraphQL makes sense - and that's where you are building an unbounded number of front end clients which will consume a complex data model. And unless both of those things are true, GraphQL is going to cost you more than the value it adds. That matches my impression. Frankly I don’t think it’s very interesting. But damned if 3/4 the webtech-focused job postings I see don’t list “graphQL experience” under the nice-to-haves.
jholman 7y ago
> As far as I can see, there is precisely one scenario where GraphQL makes sense - and that's where you are trying to build a lot of separate frontend clients which will consume the same large, complicated data model. And unless both of those things are true, GraphQL is going to cost you more than the value it adds. Exactly