Embracing Flexibility: Why You Might Want to Switch from GraphQL to REST

The Limitations of GraphQL

GraphQL is designed to provide flexibility and efficiency by allowing clients to specify exactly what data they need. However, this can also lead to performance issues if not implemented carefully. Additionally, GraphQL’s single endpoint architecture makes it challenging to configure web caching, which can further impact performance.

The Advantages of REST

On the other hand, REST APIs typically expose multiple endpoints, making it easier to configure web caching and reduce traffic to your server. By storing frequently accessed information in a location close to the client using a CDN, you can significantly improve performance.

Migrating to REST with Ease

So, how do you make the switch to REST in practice? One approach is to reimplement your GraphQL queries using REST endpoints, but this can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. A better solution is to use a Node.js library that converts your GraphQL schema into REST endpoints with ease.

A Practical Example: Creating a Book and Author API Server

Let’s set up a small book and author API server using a Node.js library, GraphQL, and Express. We’ll create and read books and authors from it, demonstrating how this library can help you migrate to REST without impacting the internal implementation of your existing code.

const express = require('express');
const { graphqlHTTP } = require('express-graphql');
const { makeExecutableSchema } = require('@graphql-tools/schema');
const { sofa } = require('sofa');

const app = express();

const typeDefs = `
  type Book {
    title: String!
    author: Author!
  }

  type Author {
    name: String!
  }

  type Query {
    books: [Book!]!
    authors: [Author!]!
  }
`;

const resolvers = {
  Query: {
    books: () => [...], // implement your book resolver
    authors: () => [...], // implement your author resolver
  },
};

const schema = makeExecutableSchema({ typeDefs, resolvers });

app.use('/graphql', graphqlHTTP({ schema }));

const restEndpoints = sofa(schema);

app.use('/api', restEndpoints);

app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Server listening on port 3000');
});

The Power of Autogenerated REST Documentation

This library also generates OpenAPI documentation using the schema definition file, making it easy to autogenerate documentation for your API. This means you can focus on developing your application, rather than spending hours writing documentation.

Get Started with Migrating to REST Today

With this approach, you can take advantage of the best qualities of both GraphQL and REST. By providing a simple and efficient way to migrate to REST, you can speed up development and provide your users with different API types. So why not give it a try?