What is GraphQL?

GraphQL is a query language and runtime environment that has been developed by Facebook to provide a better way to access APIs and data. It is an open-source technology that enables developers to query, manipulate, and combine data from multiple sources in a single request. GraphQL offers several advantages over traditional REST APIs, including the ability to query multiple data sources in a single request, the ability to specify exactly which data is required, and the ability to easily refactor existing APIs. Additionally, GraphQL allows for better performance and scalability because it eliminates the need for multiple roundtrips for data. It also provides a more intuitive and consistent experience for developers, allowing them to quickly fetch and manipulate data from different sources.

Overall, GraphQL is a powerful and flexible technology that allows developers to quickly and easily access and manipulate data from multiple sources in a single request. Its self-documenting design makes it easy to explore new APIs, while its extensibility and adaptability make it easy to add new features and functionality to existing applications.

GraphQL APIs in Boomi:

API Explorer will be hidden by default, and it must be manually enabled under Settings > User Information > Toggle “Preview the API Explorer (GraphQL Only)”. Below is the API Explorer landing page.

Note: This is still a beta feature. API Explorer comes with the default Boomi package, and it must be manually enabled by each user based on usage. This Boomi-provided interface was built on GraphQL to interact with all the platform-deployed APIs. This doesn’t require any additional setup like external libraries or external authentication for accessing APIs.

Types Supported:

GraphQL language supports below two methods for accessing and modifying APIs

• Query – Like a database query, it reads the data from the server and displays it.
• Mutate – It is like updating the server-side data i.e., performing insert/update/delete on the server-side data.

Documentation Explorer:

Documentation Explorer provides an easy way to navigate through API spec and schema definition. No manual import is required. The documentation includes new and updated definitions. 

Additional Resources:

• Boomi Documentation on how to access GraphQL APIs can be found here

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