Unlocking the Power of GraphQL: Insights from GraphQLConf 2021
The recent GraphQLConf 2021 brought together industry experts to discuss the latest trends and innovations in the GraphQL ecosystem. From schema stitching to data federation, migrating global IDs, and powering ecommerce, the conference covered a wide range of topics that are shaping the future of GraphQL.
Schema Stitching: Unifying Data in Headless Architectures
Roy Derks’ talk on schema stitching using @graphql-tools/stitch demonstrated how to combine data from multiple services into a single, unified GraphQL schema. By creating a gateway service, developers can access all services in their company through a single endpoint. The employed stack included @graphql-tools/stitch, json-graphql-server, @graphql-tools/schema, Apollo server, and Next.js.
Federation vs. Schema Stitching: A Performance Comparison
Tanmai Gopal, co-founder and CEO of Hasura, presented a different approach to federation, which centralizes data from multiple services before resolving queries. This approach offers better performance compared to Apollo Federation, especially for complex queries. Hasura’s solution is still in development, but it promises to provide a more efficient way of handling federated data.
Migrating Global IDs: GitHub’s Journey
Andrew Hoglund, senior software engineer at GitHub, shared the company’s experience in migrating its global identifier format to support database sharding and multi-region setups. The new format includes a type hint and an ownership scheme, allowing for more efficient data retrieval. GitHub’s approach serves as a valuable lesson for companies facing similar challenges.
Personalizing Ecommerce with GraphQL
Stuart Guest-Smith, principal architect lead at BigCommerce, explored how GraphQL enables merchants to build fast, flexible, and personalized ecommerce experiences. By using GraphQL, companies can access and relate data from multiple backend systems, achieving composable commerce and enhanced customer experiences.
The Future of GraphQL
GraphQLConf 2021 demonstrated that, even after five years, the GraphQL ecosystem is still evolving. New developments, such as schema stitching and Hasura’s federation approach, are addressing the ongoing needs of the community. As GraphQL continues to mature, it’s exciting to see the innovative solutions being created to power the next generation of applications.