Coding With Fun
Home Docker Django Node.js Articles Python pip guide FAQ Policy

How is graphql an alternative to rest?


Asked by Arjun Jaramillo on Dec 04, 2021 FAQ



GraphQL is a query language created by Facebook in 2012 and open-sourced in 2015. It aims to provide an alternative to traditional REST API architecture. At its core, GraphQL provides a syntax that describes how to ask for data (called a Schema). GraphQL is database agnostic and works by creating a single endpoint responsible for accepting queries, rather than relying on the REST API approach of having separate endpoints for each service.
Just so,
GraphQL is an alternative to REST for developing APIs, not a replacement. The main reason why you would use GraphQL is to send a query specifying only the information you need and receive exactly that.
Consequently, REST is the most popular alternative for GraphQL, as it is still the most common architecture for connecting client and server applications. It became more popular than networking technologies like RPC and SOAP because it used the native features of HTTP, where other protocols like SOAP tried to build their own solution on top of it.
Next,
Before GraphQL went open source in 2015, Facebook used it internally for their mobile applications since 2012, as an alternative to the common REST architecture. It allows requests for specific data, giving clients more control over what information is sent.
Keeping this in consideration,
The API is described as a list of final destinations where the data will be used or stored. It’s like a list of links that data will be sent to. GraphQL, on the other hand, uses its custom schema to describe the requests. Developers can describe multiple operations with the same link, as long as they identify it with a different keyword.