Georgii, our Senior full-stack developer, has over 12 years of experience working on both sides of web applications on the front-end and back-end. Georgii was walk you through on GraphQL VS Rest API on our last Node.JS Meetup. There are several ways to create backend APIs. REST is the most common choice but it has some limitations. It’s where GraphQL comes as an alternative to REST. For more info about Seven Peaks Software: https://lnkd.in/g2jMsDy

1. GraphQL REST API
Is it time to put REST to rest?
18.11.2021

2. ● Simplifies machine-to-machine communication.
● APIs expose their functionality as resources, which are any type of service, data, or object that a client can
access.
● Every resource comes with its own unique Url that a client can access by sending a request to the server.
● GET, POST, PUT, PATCH and DELETE are the most common REST operations.
● Supports a wide range of data formats, such as JSON, XML, or YAML. But JSON is a primary format now.
REST API
Representational State Transfer

3. Let’s see REST API example

4. ● Multiple round trips of requests required to fetch all the data
needed
● Over Fetching / Under Fetching
● No specific, standardized methodology of structuring REST APIs
Limitations of REST API

5. GraphQL
GraphQL is a query language for APIs and a runtime for fulfilling those queries with your
existing data. GraphQL provides a complete and understandable description of the data in
your API, gives clients the power to ask for exactly what they need and nothing more, makes
it easier to evolve APIs over time, and enables powerful developer tools.

6. In GraphQL, a set of information is seen in the context of a graph. Nodes, which are defined using the GraphQL schema system,
represent objects. Edges represent the connection between nodes in the graph.
You can combine different entities in one query and you are able to specific which attributes should be included in the response on
every level.
When a GraphQL server responds to an end user’s request, it begins with the query root, and the resolver executes every field on the
requested object.
GraphQL
As REST, GraphQL is an API design architecture, but with a different approach

7. HTTP POST
{
orders {
id
productsList {
product {
name
price
}
quantity
}
totalAmount
}
}
How is GraphQL request look like?

8. GraphQL provides a human-readable query with declarative query
language.
● No more Over and Under Fetching.
● Queries in GraphQL are encoded in the client, not in the server.
● You can fetch all required data with a single API call.
● It simplifies the task of aggregating data from multiple sources.
Main advantages of GraphQL

9. Let’s see GraphQL example

10. ● Loss of HTTP level caching
● Performance issues with complex queries. Give me the information
about the users that booked a table for all the restaurants of this brand.
● Difficult to monitor and handle errors as it always returns a HTTP
status code of 200 Ok.
● A learning curve for the developers.
Problems with GraphQL

11. Is it time for REST to rest in
peace?
Spoiler: “No, it’s not”

12. Thank You!
georgii.shestakov@7peakssoftware.com
Seven Peaks
88 Ratchadapisek Road The PARQ (West Wing Unit 8-13, 7th
Floor) Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110
+66 02 026 3292 | www.sevenpeakssoftware.com
Georgii Shestakov