How to useApollo, Configure the Apollo Client in ReactJS

Note: This step is only needed for the Apollo Client method, not for Fetch API or Axios.

Apollo Client is a powerful GraphQL client that works seamlessly with React, You can think of the Apollo Client as your GraphQL interpreter for React. We can configure our Apollo Client by specifying the endpoint 

// src/index.js

import { ApolloClient, InMemoryCache, ApolloProvider } from '@apollo/client';

const client = new ApolloClient({
uri: 'https://your-graphql-api-endpoint.com/graphql', // Replace with your GraphQL API endpoint
cache: new InMemoryCache()
});
ReactDOM.render(
<ApolloProvider client={client}>
<App />
</ApolloProvider>,
document.getElementById('root')
);

The above code initializes ApolloClient for GraphQL with the GraphQL API  endpoint and caches it. The ApolloProvider component comes under the @apollo/client package. It uses the ApolloProvider component to wrap the App component so that GraphQL functionality is available within the whole App component (meaning the Apollo Client instance will be provided to all the components in our App). Finally renders it in the root element within the HTML document.

With our Apollo Client now ready we can now use it to fetch and update data in our React App.

How to Integrate GraphQL APIs Into Your React.js Projects

Imagine a React.js world where you can specify exactly the data you need and it flows effortlessly tailored to your needs, and react can efficiently update the DOM as and when needed. No more under-fetching or over-fetching of data or wrestling with nested JSON structures.

This dream becomes a reality with the use of GraphQL the rising star of API technology. This article aims to help you integrate the GraphQL API with your React project.

Table of Content

  • What is GraphQL
  • Why GraphQL
  • How to Integrate GraphQL APIs into Your React.js Projects
  • Step 1: Set Up a React Application
  • Step 2: Install Required Packages
  • Step 3: Using Apollo, Configure the Apollo Client
  • Step 4: Create GraphQL Queries
  • Step 5: Fetch Data in React Components
  • Step 6: Display Data in Your React App
  • Step 7: Run Your Application

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What is GraphQL

GraphQL is a query language and runtime for APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that was developed by Facebook and later open-sourced in 2015. GraphQL allows clients to specify the shape and structure of the data they require, enabling efficient data fetching and reducing the need for multiple round trips to the server. This approach makes it particularly well-suited for applications with complex data requirements, such as those found in modern web and mobile apps. Additionally, GraphQL’s introspective nature allows clients to explore and understand the capabilities of the API, making it easier to work with and adapt to changing requirements....

Why GraphQL

In the traditional method of using the RESTful approach, we request specific data points which often leads to over-fetching or can sometimes lead to under-fetching. The GraphQL declarative method (we mention the fields we need from the server) of data fetching significantly improves performance over a REST API. For example, consider a webpage that displays the shelter names of pets in the shelter and we also want to get the name of the pet and its image....

How to Integrate GraphQL APIs into Your React.js Projects

There are generally three ways to integrate GraphQL APIs into a React.js Project. These are:...

Step 1: Set Up a React Application

Open your command prompt or terminal and type the below command. The below command will create a  basic react app for us with the basic configurations to help us get started...

Step 2: Install Required Packages

To get GraphQL talking to your React app, we’ll use a handy helper called Apollo Client. It’s like a translator for GraphQL and React, making life easier....

Step 3: Using Apollo, Configure the Apollo Client

Note: This step is only needed for the Apollo Client method, not for Fetch API or Axios....

Step 4: Create GraphQL Queries

To write our GraphQL questions or queries use the gql tag from the graphql package. It is like writing a clear request for the data you need. Here’s an example, Let’s create a simple query to fetch a list of users...

Step 5: Fetch Data in React Components

Apollo Client Method...

Step 6: Display Data in Your React App

You have to import the UserList or other components that use GraphQL API into your react application to display the fetched data....

Step 7: Run Your Application

Run npm start in your terminal or command prompt to start your react application and check if it properly fetches and displays the data from the GraphQL API....

Conclusion

Congratulations you have successfully integrated GraphQL API with your React js application using Apollo Client. You can now leverage the power of GraphQL in dealing with APIs and efficiently manage your react components for different APIs. The integration of GraphQL helps in creating more efficient web applications. By adapting GraphQL into your React.js projects you are using the latest popular technology in API querying....

FAQs

Why use GraphQL over traditional REST APIs?...