nexus VS graphql-code-generator

There are multiple ways available of constructing a graphql schema. Usually, you can break down those into "SDL" First and "Code" First. A simple example of a Code First approach is the programmatic graphql.js API using `new GraphQLObjectType`. You define your schema with code. In an SDL First approach, you write your schema in the GraphQL SDL (as text) and define a resolver map. You can find some examples over here: https://graphql.org/graphql-js/constructing-types/ A lot of tooling has emerged of those two methods of building GraphQL schemas and you usually have to choose whether you wanna stick to Code First or SDL First. Tools like gqtx (https://github.com/sikanhe/gqtx), giraphql (https://github.com/hayes/giraphql), and nexus (https://github.com/graphql-nexus/nexus) are built around the Code First approach and improve the developer experience over the programmatic API form graphql.js by providing a more type-safe API when utilizing TypeScript. They ultimately all do the same, with slightly (more or less opinionated) different APIs. On the other hand tooling for SDL has also evolved. graphql-tools provides a more advanced interface over how you define the resolvers map and a lot of utilities for constructing your schema from SDL/resolver map partials distributed across different files (https://www.graphql-tools.com/docs/generate-schema/). Together, with graphql-codegen resolver type generation (https://www.graphql-code-generator.com/docs/plugins/typescript-resolvers) you can bring this to the next level if you are working with TypeScript and generate fully typed resolvers from the GraphQL SDL. You have to find out for yourself which approach is best suited for you. I have been using both on different projects and they both have benefits and trade-offs. My opinion is mostly based on the TypeScript developer experience. Code First seems to be the better pick for me if you have lots of computed fields that cannot be mapped 1:1 to the data sources, where you would have to add a lot of type resolver mappings configuration for codegen. With SDL I like that I have the feeling that I can write the schema faster and less clumsy, and the SDL is immediately readable. On Code First you, however, can still generate an SDL file from the coding schema. Maybe there is a niche open for an approach that combines Code and SDL First approaches. We will have to see what the future brings. Here are some more articles/threads regarding the topic: https://www.prisma.io/blog/the-problems-of-schema-first-graphql-development-x1mn4cb0tyl3 https://www.reddit.com/r/graphql/comments/fpkx7a/codefirst\_vs\_schemafirst\_development/ https://blog.logrocket.com/code-first-vs-schema-first-development-graphql/ Also, note that most GraphQL server/transports do or should not care about the way you construct your schema. E.g. the apollo-server docs show you only an SDL first way of constructing the schema (https://www.apollographql.com/docs/apollo-server/schema/schema/), but it is also possible to provide a schema instance(https://www.apollographql.com/docs/apollo-server/api/apollo-server/#schema). apollo-server defaults to advocating creating a schema with SDL (by using an old graphql-tools@4 version under the hood).

Tools like gqtx (https://github.com/sikanhe/gqtx), giraphql (https://github.com/hayes/giraphql), and nexus (https://github.com/graphql-nexus/nexus) are built around the Code First approach and improve the developer experience over the programmatic API form graphql.js by providing a more type-safe API when utilizing TypeScript. They ultimately all do the same, with slightly (more or less opinionated) different APIs.

If you want in-dept examples of plugins in nexusjs, I suggest that you have a look at how the default plugins are written here.

The @graphql-codegen library is a bridge between your GraphQL schema and the actual code you write. It automates the generation of boilerplate code, ensuring that your data fetching layer is always up to date with your content structure.

In typescript and typescript-resolvers plugin v4.0.1, we have reverted the default ID Scalar input type to string. Read the pull request for more details.

See https://github.com/dotansimha/graphql-code-generator with @graphql-codegen/typescript-graphql-request plugin

Graphql Codegen is a code generation library for GraphQL that enables developers to generate custom code. It provides us developers with the ability to generate type definitions, query builders, documentation, and more by analyzing our GraphQL schemas. This makes it easier and faster to build GraphQL applications and reduces the time spent coding.

It is already incoming, with an example in the repository. 😇 https://github.com/dotansimha/graphql-code-generator/pull/8863

The actual package is @ graphql-codegen/cli

GraphQL Codegen generates frontend types and React hooks from our GraphQL request definitions.

There are two main approaches to keeping the types of the GraphQL schema and entities in business logic in sync. You can generate the schema based on your TypeScript code (e.g. TypeGraphQL), or you can generate types based on your schema (e.g. GraphQL Code Generator). We opted for the latter since it slotted right into our existing GraphQL server implementation using Apollo Server.

For querying in React make sure you use GraphQL code generator https://www.the-guild.dev/graphql/codegen