GraphQL is a query language for APIs and a runtime for executing those queries with existing data, developed internally by Facebook in 2012 before being publicly released in 2015. It provides an alternative to REST and ad hoc web service architectures, letting clients define the structure of the data required and having the server return exactly that structure, and is used to load data from a server to a client.
Facts
First Released ParadigmDeclarative data query and manipulation language 2 SignificanceBecame a widely adopted alternative to REST for API design, letting a client declare exactly the data shape it needs in a single query. 2 FAQs
Does GraphQL replace REST?
No. GraphQL is often an alternative to REST rather than a definitive replacement.
Not necessarily. The GraphQL project's own FAQ says the two both handle APIs and can serve similar purposes from a business perspective, and that GraphQL is often considered an alternative to REST but is not a definitive replacement. The two can live in the same stack, for example by putting a GraphQL server in front of existing REST APIs.
Does Facebook own GraphQL?
No. The GraphQL Foundation governs it; Facebook originated it and is a member.
No. GraphQL is governed by the GraphQL Foundation, a neutral body hosted under the Linux Foundation and made up of representatives from dozens of companies. The specification was originally developed at Facebook, and Facebook remains a member of the foundation.
Connections
In Field
Source Wikipedia: GraphQL
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Developed By
Also in Business Atlas: the developer of this subject.
Sources
1. Wikidata: GraphQL
- Wikidata Q25104949, resolved via en.wikipedia pageprops (wave rule R-L)
- Wikidata Q25104949 P275 (license)
View the Source2. Wikipedia: GraphQL
Wikimedia FoundationHistory section
Facebook started GraphQL development in 2012 and released a draft specification and reference implementation as open source in 2015.
In Field: Programming Language Theory, Lead sentence
GraphQL is a data query and manipulation language that allows specifying what data is to be retrieved ("declarative data fetching") or modified.
In Group: Graph and Semantic Data Query Languages, Lead
GraphQL is a data query and manipulation language that allows specifying what data is to be retrieved ("declarative data fetching") or modified. A GraphQL server can process a client query using data from separate sources and present the results in a unified graph.
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