Exploring GraphQL

GraphQL serves as a query language for APIs and provides a runtime environment for executing queries. Unlike REST, which relies on rigid endpoint structures, GraphQL allows clients to request exactly what they need and nothing more, making it efficient for fetching data. This flexibility reduces the amount of data transferred over the network and allows for more precise and optimized queries.

In projects where your application deals with complex, interrelated data structures, such as social networks, e-commerce platforms, or content management systems (CMSs), GraphQL’s ability to query deeply nested data in a single request makes it a perfect match with Node.js. This combination reduces the need for multiple REST endpoints and minimizes data over-fetching, optimizing both the network performance and the developer experience.

Getting ready

In this tutorial, we will create a simple GraphQL API with a book and author relationship using Fastify and Mercurius...