GraphQL란?

GraphQL은 Facebook에서 개발하고 오픈 소스로 제공하는 API(애플리케이션 프로그래밍 인터페이스)용 쿼리 언어 및 런타임입니다. API 구축을 위해 REST(Representational State Transfer)에 대한 보다 효율적이고 강력하며 유연한 대안을 제공합니다.

GraphQL API에서 클라이언트는 필요한 데이터를 지정하는 요청을 하고 서버는 고정된 데이터 집합이 아닌 요청된 데이터만 반환합니다. 이렇게 하면 데이터를 과도하게 가져오거나 적게 가져오지 않고 필요한 데이터를 정확하게 검색하고 여러 요청이 아닌 단일 요청으로 데이터를 받을 수 있습니다.

GraphQL은 또한 클라이언트와 서버 간에 교환되는 데이터에 대한 유형 시스템을 제공하여 요청과 응답이 실행되기 전에 유효성을 검사할 수 있도록 합니다. 그 결과 성능이 향상되고 복잡성이 감소하며 API가 더 예측 가능해집니다.

GraphQL의 또 다른 주요 기능은 실시간 업데이트 및 구독 지원으로, 실시간 및 협업 애플리케이션 구축에 매우 적합합니다.

전반적으로 GraphQL은 API를 구축하는 보다 효율적이고 유연하며 강력한 방법을 제공하며 특히 여러 데이터 소스 및 서비스와 상호 작용해야 하는 모바일 및 웹 애플리케이션을 위한 최신 애플리케이션 개발에 널리 사용되는 선택이 되었습니다.

GraphQL is a query language and runtime for APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that was developed and open-sourced by Facebook. It provides a more efficient, powerful, and flexible alternative to REST (Representational State Transfer) for building APIs.

In a GraphQL API, the client makes a request specifying the data it needs, and the server returns only the requested data, rather than a fixed set of data. This makes it possible to retrieve exactly the data you need, without over- or under-fetching data, and to receive the data in a single request, rather than multiple requests.

GraphQL also provides a type system for the data being exchanged between the client and the server, making it possible to validate the requests and responses before they are executed. This results in better performance, reduced complexity, and a more predictable API.

Another key feature of GraphQL is its support for real-time updates and subscriptions, which makes it well-suited for building real-time and collaborative applications.

Overall, GraphQL provides a more efficient, flexible, and powerful way to build APIs, and has become a popular choice for developing modern applications, especially for mobile and web applications that need to interact with multiple data sources and services.