Creating A Graphql Server | Graphql Projects

Setting Up a GraphQL Server from Scratch

This guide will walk you through the process of setting up a GraphQL server using Node.js and Apollo Server.

Key Points:

Understand the basics of GraphQL and Apollo Server.
Set up a Node.js project.
Define schemas and resolvers for your API.

Step 1: Set Up Your Node.js Environment

Start by creating a new directory for your project and initializing a Node.js project:

mkdir graphql-server
cd graphql-server
npm init -y
npm install apollo-server graphql

Step 2: Create Your Server

Create a file named server.js in your project directory and set up your Apollo Server:

const { ApolloServer, gql } = require('apollo-server');

// Define your schema
const typeDefs = gql`
  type Query {
    hello: String
  }
`;

// Define your resolvers
const resolvers = {
  Query: {
    hello: () => 'Hello, world!',
  },
};

// Create the server
const server = new ApolloServer({ typeDefs, resolvers });

// Start the server
server.listen().then(({ url }) => {
  console.log(`🚀 Server ready at ${url}`);
});

Step 3: Define a Schema

Expand your schema to include more complex types. For instance, create a User type:

const typeDefs = gql`
  type User {
    id: ID!
    name: String!
    email: String!
  }

  type Query {
    users: [User]
  }
`;

Step 4: Add Resolvers

Implement resolvers to handle your queries. Create a mock list of users:

const resolvers = {
  Query: {
    users: () => [
      { id: '1', name: 'John Doe', email: 'john.doe@example.com' },
      { id: '2', name: 'Jane Smith', email: 'jane.smith@example.com' },
    ],
  },
};

Step 5: Test Your Server

You can test your GraphQL server using GraphQL Playground. Simply query the users field:

query {
  users {
    id
    name
    email
  }
}

Conclusion

You have successfully set up a basic GraphQL server! You can expand your server by adding mutations, connecting to a database, and implementing authentication.

GraphQL - Creating a GraphQL Server