Gain insights into GraphQL's architecture and methodology. Learn about setting up servers, performing complex queries, and updating data with mutations using Apollo Server and Node.js. Discover practical deployment.

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GraphQL is a query language for web APIs and a runtime for fulfilling queries with existing data. GraphQL gives clients the power to ask for precisely what they need, making it easy to evolve APIs with powerful developer tools.

This course is an introduction to GraphQL using the Node.js JavaScript runtime environment and Apollo Server. You’ll start with an introduction to GraphQL’s architecture and functions before exploring the structure of GraphQL data and learning to perform meaningful, complex queries. You’ll then learn how to update server data using mutations. Next, you’ll explore the GraphQL type system and schemas to set up a GraphQL server using Apollo Server. Once the server is set up, you’ll implement a full GraphQL application using Apollo and Node.js.

By the end of this course, you’ll have a rich understanding of GraphQL’s architecture and methodology and be prepared to deploy GraphQL applications to the web using Apollo and Node.js.

Getting Started with GraphQL using Node.js

# Type system
We know from the previous lessons that GraphQL selects fields on objects and decides what operation to request. Let’s try breaking down the following GraphQL query:


```
{
  pizzas {
    id
    name
  }
}
```

1. We start with a special root object `{}`.

2. We select the `pizzas` field on the object.

3. We want every returned `pizzas` object to have `id` and `name`.

On GraphQL, the server will always respond to GraphQL queries sent by the client. With this, we can predict what the query will return without knowing too much about the server. But it’s beneficial for us to understand what data is available, what fields we can select, and what operations we can perform.

Every GraphQL server must describe all of the possible data that the client can query. Then when queries come in, they’re validated and executed against that schema.




# Type language

GraphQL doesn’t rely on a specific programming language syntax like Python or JavaScript to discuss GraphQL schemas. GraphQL defines its own language. We can use the GraphQL schema language, which is similar to the query language and allows us to talk about GraphQL schemas in a language-agnostic way.





Learn about the GraphQL type system and language.


Introduction

Getting to Know GraphQL

Queries

Mutations

Schemas and Types

Schema Validation

Schema Execution

Schema Introspection

GraphQL Best Practices

GraphQL Exam

Introduction to Type System and Language

Type system