Write GraphQL queries as objects instead of strings

This is a better implementation of the GraphQL query API via NodeJS, created as a wrapper of Got. It works like a transpiler, with a built in HTTPRequest Client (Got), allowing you to write your GraphQL queries as Javascript Objects instead of strings.

Built because manipulating strings is a real pain.

Table of Contents

• Table of Contents
  • Install
  • Basic Usage
  • What is it?
    • Motivation
  • API
    • Option Object
    • Returns
  • The JSON query format
    • Description
    • Examples
      • Simple query
      • Named query
      • Query with simple args
      • Query with variables
      • Nested fields
      • Enum args
  • Contributing to this project

Install

$ npm install gotql

Or

$ yarn install gotql

Basic Usage

const gotQl = require('gotql')

const query = {
  operation: {
    name: 'users',
    fields: ['name', 'age', 'id']
  }
}

const options = {
  headers: {
    "Authorization": "Bearer <token>"
  },
  debug: false,
  useHttp2: false
}

gotQL.query('mygraphqlendpoint.com.br/api', query, options)
  .then(response => console.log(response.data))
  .catch(console.error)

What is it?

GotQL is a better interface for GraphQL queries. It provides a way for developers to run queries using JSON instead of strings. Which is a way more usable data format than the string itself.

See more on: https://hasura.io/blog/fluent-graphql-clients-how-to-write-queries-like-a-boss/

Motivation

Manipulating strings is very smelly, even on dynamically typed languages. So, in order to avoid things such as this:

Which can be translated to something waay more readable in a JSON format like this:

const mutation = {
  operation: {
    name: 'addLog',
    args: {
      logType: literal`status_change`, // Enum Value
      fromState: variables.fromState,
      toState: variables.toState,
      idUser: variables.idUser,
      idCampaign: variables.idCampaign,
      owner: {
        ownerType: variables.ownerType,
        username: variables.username,
        picture: variables.picture,
        name: variables.name,
        id: variables.id
      }
    },
    fields: [ 'uuid' ]
  }
}

This is why GotQL was created.

API

gotQl.query(graphQLEndpoint, query, [options])

• Description: Performs a graphQL query

GraphQLEndpoint

• Type: string
• Description: The GraphQL endpoint to query on

query

• Type: object
• Description: The JSON-typed query following the json-query format

options

See option object for more information.

---

gotQl.mutation(graphQLEndpoint, query, [options])

• Description: Performs a graphQL mutation

GraphQLEndpoint

• Type: string
• Description: The GraphQL endpoint to query on

query

• Type: object
• Description: The JSON-typed query following the json-query format

options

See option object for more information.

---

gotQl.parser(query, type)

• Description: Parses a JSON-Like query and returns the query's string

query

• Type: object
• Description: The JSON-typed query following the json-query format

type

• Type: string
• Description: Must be either 'query' or 'mutation'

Option Object

Both gotql.query and gotql.mutation accept an optional user option object with the following API:

• Type: object
• Description: The option object with the following properties.
  • errorStatusCode: Default HTTP status code to be returned on error
    • Type: number
  • headers: Additional headers to be sent
    • Type: object, in the form of [headerName: string]: headerValue: string
  • gotInstance: Customized Got instance to be used when calling the endpoint
    • Type: got. Internally this will be called as got.post(prependHttp(endPoint), gotPayload)
  • useHttp2: Boolean defining if the call should be made using HTTP2, defaults to false (see release 11 of got)
    • Type: boolean

Note: GotQL uses debug internally as default debugger, so you can set debug levels by setting the DEBUG environment variable. These are the current levels:

• gotql:info
• gotql:info:parser
• gotql:info:runner
• gotql:errors

Returns

All methods return a string like this:

const response = 'query { test { name args } }'

The JSON query format

The JSON format gotQL uses is a simple and intuitive description based on the anatomy of a GraphQL query blog post.

This is a generic model of a JSONLike query:

const query = {
  name?: string,
  operation: {
    name: string,
    alias?: string,
    args?: { [argName: string]: any } | {
      [argName: string]: {
        value: string,
        escape: boolean
      }
    },
    fields: (string | {
      [fieldName: string]: [{
        args?: { [argName: string]: any } | {
          [argName: string]: {
            value: string,
            escape: boolean
          }
        },
        fields?: (string | { [fieldName: string]: [any] })[]
      }]
    })[]
  },
  variables?: {
    [varName: string]: {
      type: string,
      value: string
    }
  }
}

Description

• Query:
  • Type: object
  • Description: The full query object
  • Properties:
    • name: [optional]: Query name
      • Type: string
    • variables: [optional] Query variable declaration
      • Type: object with signature like [varName: string]: { type: string, value: string }
      • Properties:
        • varName: Variable name
          • Type: string
        • type: Variable type. Can be a GraphQL definition of type (i.e: string!)
          • Type: string
        • value: Variable value
          • Type: any
    • operation: The query operation (action that will be executed)
      • Type: object
      • Properties:
        • name: The operation name
          • Type: string
        • alias: [optional] An alias to give the operation
          • Type: string
        • args: [optional] The operation args
          • Type: [argName: string]: any or a detailed arg object
            • Simple args: An object where the key is the argument name and its value. Accepts variables in the format of argName: '$value'
              • Example: args { name: 'myName' }
            • Detailed args: A tagged template. This will give more control over escaping (mostly to use enums). Argument name should be the key
              • Type: tagged template
              • Examples: args: { status: literal`an_enum` } should output operation (status: an_enum)...
        • fields: The field list to get back from the operation
          • Type: An array of object (to use nested fields) or string, or both.
          • Properties (for nested fields):
            • Type: object where the field name is the key
            • fields: Recursive definition, accepts another array just like the fields above.
            • args: [optional] The field args
              • Type: [argName: string]: any or a detailed arg object
                • Simple args: An object where the key is the argument name and its value. Accepts variables in the format of argName: '$value'
                  • Example: args { name: 'myName' }
                • Detailed args: A tagged template. This will give more control over escaping (mostly to use enums). Argument name should be the key
                  • Type: tagged template
                  • Examples: args: { status: literal`an_enum` } should output operation (status: an_enum)...

Examples

Simple query

const query = {
  operation: {
    name: 'users',
    fields: ['name', 'age']
  }
}

Outputs:

query { users { name age } }

Named query

const query = {
  name: 'myQuery',
  operation: {
    name: 'users',
    fields: ['name', 'age']
  }
}

Outputs:

query myQuery { users { name age } }

Query with simple args

const query = {
  operation: {
    name: 'users',
    args: {
      name: 'Joe'
    },
    fields: ['name', 'age']
  }
}

Outputs:

query { users(name: "Joe") { name age } }

Query with variables

const query = {
  variables: {
    name: {
      type: 'string!',
      value: 'Joe'
    }
  },
  operation: {
    name: 'users',
    args: {
      name: '$name'
    },
    fields: ['name', 'age']
  }
}

Outputs:

query ($name: string!) { users(name: $name) { name age } }

Variables are sent on a separate object to graphQL.

{
  "variables": { "name": "Joe" }
}

Nested fields

const query = {
  operation: {
    name: 'users',
    fields: [
      'name',
      'age',
      {
        friends: {
          fields: ['name', 'age']
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

Outputs:

query { users { name age friends { name age } } }

Recursive fields can go forever.

Enum and literal args

Enum or literal values should not be escaped, to do that, GotQL has a helper called literal which can be used to tell the query that value will not be escaped:

const { literal } = require('gotql')

const query = {
  operation: {
    name: 'users',
    args: {
      type: literal`internal`
    },
    fields: ['name', 'age']
  }
}

The code above outputs:

query { users(type: internal) { name age } }

The literal helper is just a shorthand to the old-style {value: string, escape: boolean} object like below:

const query = {
  operation: {
    name: 'users',
    args: {
      type: {
        value: 'internal',
        escape: false
      }
    },
    fields: ['name', 'age']
  }
}

If literal is omitted, or if escape is set to true, the output would be:

query { users(type: "internal") { name age } }

Note: Variables such as described here will not be recognized. If the arg object is not an [argName]: value, variables will not pass through the definition check (GotQL warns if a variable is not declared but used on operation).

Contributing to this project

Please note that this project is released with a Contributor Code of Conduct. By participating in this project you agree to abide by its terms.

Hey! If you want to contribute, please read the contributing guidelines 😄

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