GraphQL is a language for querying and manipulating data using a strongly typed schema. GraphQL allows clients to request only the data they need, making it more efficient than traditional REST APIs. It was developed by Facebook in 2012, released as an open-source project in 2015.
GraphQL is an alternative to REST APIs, but they are not mutually exclusive and many services support both GraphQL and REST.
Unlike REST, GraphQL is its own language which allows the client to clearly specify exactly what data it needs. You no longer have to waste bandwidth on fetching data that is not actually relevant for the current page.
The flexibility of GraphQL means that you can create much more complex data queries compared to REST. With GraphQL you can often get the data you need with fewer roundtrips to the server which will result in significantly faster load times.
Each GraphQL server has a schema that specifies exactly what data the client can access and exactly what you can do with it. It even has documentation for each data type built in. That means you don't have to spend hours browsing API documentation to figure out exactly how to access the data you need. The GraphQL schema provides all that information directly.
GraphQL quickly became popular after its release and there are now thousands of services that support GraphQL. It is especially popular with CMS platforms like Contentful, DatoCMS and Umbraco each of which has first class support for GraphQL.
When you create new Service in Nordcraft you will now also see 3 new GraphQL services: DatoCMS, Umbraco and Contentful, and we also added support for Supabase GraphQL.
With all the power and flexibility of GraphQL you would expect it to also be more complex to learn and this has been the experience of many developers. This is where Nordcraft comes in.
Because each GraphQL powered services has a strict schema, Nordcraft can use that Schema in its query builder. The UI for querying each unique services is generated on the fly to match the exact capabilities of that service. You get all the flexibility and power of GraphQL without having to write a single query.
Nordcraft and GraphQL is the ultimate combo. It has never been simpler to get exactly the data you need.
The GraphQL editor is built on top of Nordcrafts existing API system. That means you have all the same controls as with any other API in Nordcraft. Redirect rules? Yes! Debounce and timeout? Yes! Server side rendering? Of course!
As always you can also completely customize the url, and headers for each request.
The new GraphQL query builder is live today. If you already use Nordcraft with GraphQL, the API panel will automatically detect this and show the new interface. Otherwise just click the GraphQL button in the body tab.
We are super excited about this feature. We think it is a huge step forward that makes working with APIs and remote data so much more enjoyable.
Finally, we want to give a big shout-out to Zenodev who worked on the GraphQL query builder.
