This book is now published by Apress: Look here.

Understand and Visualize GraphQL, Prettify Legacy Content and get the API Structures Right!

New in the April 2018 version: Issues with legacy data as well as issues and benefits in combining GraphQL with Neo4j graph databases.

GraphQL is indeed an attractive data API for applications (and people). The GraphQL Schema is pivotal to the success of a GraphQL API in that it describes an application side scope as well as the mapping to data sources.

There are many contexts, where complex structures and semantics must be communicated effectively, and the trick invariably turns out to be: Use good visualizations! Most development projects involve many stakeholders.

The main proposition of this book is graph visualization: GraphQL Schema structure and meaning must be visualized, and the book shows you how. Since the schema is a “data graph” containing related concepts in a network organized as a directed graph, the increasingly popular property graph paradigm is very appropriate for visualizing GraphQL structures and semantics.

The second theme of this book is that of quality of the content. GraphQL APIs can be used in many constellations possibly including legacy data and/or externally sourced data. Quality must be ensured in all cases. The book contains simple guidelines based on lessons learned from real life data discovery and unification. This helps developers and architects to get good quality in the resulting API designs. And the visual techniques help in producing convincing visual communication about the structure of the API designs.

The third theme is how to handle GraphQL with legacy data as well as with Neo4j graph databases.

Spending time on schema quality means that developers work from sharp definitions, which in turn leads to greater productivity and well-structured applications.