Unlock the Power of GraphQL and Flutter
Revolutionizing Software Development
When GraphQL and Flutter first emerged, they introduced a new era of software development. GraphQL empowered developers to fetch data in their desired shape and format, while Flutter enabled the creation of mobile apps in one language, cross-compiling them for other platforms. By combining these two revolutionary technologies, we can unlock a world of new possibilities.
What is GraphQL?
Developed by Facebook in 2012 and released to the public in 2015, GraphQL was designed to transform the way data is served from the backend. With GraphQL, you can specify the structure of the data you want to retrieve. For instance, consider a table model with fields representing food properties: name, description, price, chef, and origin. Using REST, you would fetch all properties, even if you only need a few. GraphQL allows you to request only the necessary properties, reducing redundancy.
The Benefits of GraphQL
GraphQL has become a go-to choice for thousands of companies today, offering benefits such as:
- Built-in caching and batching mechanisms
- Single endpoint structure
- Built-in pagination methods
Introducing graphql_flutter
graphql_flutter is a GraphQL client for Flutter, providing APIs and widgets to fetch and use data from a GraphQL backend with ease. This plugin exports widgets and providers that enable you to:
- Set up an HTTP link to the backend
- Create a GraphQL client to fetch queries and mutations
- Cache queries and mutations
- Wrap your app with a GraphQL provider
Setting Up graphql_flutter
To use graphql_flutter, create a Flutter project, install the package, and import it. Then, wrap your root widget with GraphQLProvider, passing a GraphQLClient instance with a URL and caching mechanism.
Making Queries with graphql_flutter
Use the Query widget to make a query to a GraphQL backend. The Query widget takes options and builder properties. Options configure the query, while the builder function returns widgets to display the fetched data.
Making Mutations with graphql_flutter
The Mutation widget is used to make mutation queries. It takes options, document, update, onCompleted, and builder properties. Options configure the mutation, while the builder function returns widgets to display the result.
Setting Up Subscriptions with graphql_flutter
Subscriptions in GraphQL are like an event system, listening to a WebSocket and calling a function when an event is emitted. The Subscription widget opens a real-time connection to a GraphQL server, providing updates when new data is available.
Putting it all Together
In this tutorial, we’ve covered the basics of GraphQL and Flutter, and demonstrated how to use graphql_flutter to make queries, mutations, and subscriptions in a Flutter app. By combining these technologies, you can unlock new possibilities for your mobile app development.