Advanced GraphQL: Query Execution & Resolvers #12
After being validated, a GraphQL query is executed by a GraphQL server. A deep dive into query execution on the server!
In the previous post, we have learned how GraphQL queries are validated with the help of the type system.
After being validated, a GraphQL query is executed by a GraphQL server which returns a result that mirrors the shape of the requested query, typically as JSON.
GraphQL cannot execute a query without a type system, let's use an example type system to illustrate executing a query. This is a part of the same type system used throughout the examples in these articles:
type Query {
person(id: ID!): Person
}
type Person {
name: String!
age: Int! id: ID! height: Int image: Int starships: [Starships]
}
type Starships{
name: String!
id: Int}In order to describe what happens when a query is executed, let's use an example to walk through.
You can think of each field in a GraphQL query as a function or method of the previous type which returns the next type. In fact, this is exactly how GraphQL works.
Each field on each type is backed by a function called the resolver which is provided by the GraphQL server developer. When a field is executed, the corresponding resolver is called to produce the next value.
If a field produces a scalar value like a string or number, then the execution completes. However, if a field produces an object value then the query will contain another selection of fields that apply to that object. This continues until scalar values are reached. GraphQL queries always end at scalar values.
. . .
Root fields & resolvers
At the top level of every GraphQL server is a type that represents all of the possible entry points into the GraphQL API, it's often called the Root type or the Query type.
In this example, our Query type provides a field called Person which accepts the argument id. The resolver function for this field likely accesses a database and then constructs and returns a Person object.
Query: {
person(obj, args, context, info) {
return context.db.loadHumanByID(args.id).then(
userData => new Person(userData)
)
}
}This example is written in JavaScript, however GraphQL servers can be built in many different languages. A resolver function receives four arguments:
- obj The previous object, which for a field on the root Query type is often not used.
- args The arguments provided to the field in the GraphQL query.
- context A value which is provided to every resolver and holds important contextual information like the currently logged in user, or access to a database.
- info A value which holds field-specific information relevant to the current query as well as the schema details, also refer to type GraphQLResolveInfo for more details.
. . .
Asynchronous resolvers
Let's take a closer look at what's happening in this resolver function.
person(obj, args, context, info) {
return context.db.loadHumanByID(args.id).then(
userData => new Person(userData)
)
}The context is used to provide access to a database which is used to load the data for a user by the id provided as an argument in the GraphQL query. Since loading from a database is an asynchronous operation, this returns a Promise.
In JavaScript, Promises are used to work with asynchronous values, but the same concept exists in many languages, often called Futures, Tasks or Deferred. When the database returns, we can construct and return a new Human object.
Notice that while the resolver function needs to be aware of Promises, the GraphQL query does not. It simply expects the person field to return something which it can then ask the name of. During execution, GraphQL will wait for Promises, Futures, and Tasks to complete before continuing and will do so with optimal concurrency.
. . .
Trivial resolvers
Now that a Human object is available, GraphQL execution can continue with the fields requested on it.
Person: {
name(obj, args, context, info) {
return obj.name
}
}A GraphQL server is powered by a type system which is used to determine what to do next. Even before the person field returns anything, GraphQL knows that the next step will be to resolve fields on the Person type since the type system tells it that the person field will return a Person.
Resolving the name in this case is very straight-forward. The name resolver function is called and the obj argument is the new Person object returned from the previous field. In this case, we expect that Human object to have a name property which we can read and return directly.
In fact, many GraphQL libraries will let you omit resolvers this simple and will just assume that if a resolver isn't provided for a field, that a property of the same name should be read and returned.
. . .
List resolvers
We've already seen a bit of what happens when a field returns a list of things with the starships field above. It returned a list of Starships values, and since that's what the type system expected, each item in the list was coerced to the appropriate value. What happens when the starships field is resolved?
Person: {
starships(obj, args, context, info) {
return obj.starshipIDs.map(
id => context.db.loadStarshipByID(id).then(
shipData => new Starship(shipData)
)
)
}
}The resolver for this field is not just returning a Promise, it's returning a list of Promises. The Human object had a list of ids of the Starships they piloted, but we need to go load all of those ids to get real Starship objects.
GraphQL will wait for all of these Promises concurrently before continuing, and when left with a list of objects, it will concurrently continue yet again to load the name field on each of these items.
. . .
Producing the result
As each field is resolved, the resulting value is placed into a key-value map with the field name (or alias) as the key and the resolved value as the value, this continues from the bottom leaf fields of the query all the way back up to the original field on the root Query type.
Let's take one last look at the original query to see how all these resolving functions produce a result:
Collectively these produce a structure that mirrors the original query which can then be sent (typically as JSON) to the client which requested it.
. . .
In the next tutorial, we will look into the advanced GraphQL concepts such as Security issues with GraphQL APIs and how to solve them
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