Implementing and using GraphQL at GitHub

This talk was given at GitHub Universe 2016. Alongside Dan Schafer from GitHub, we discuss GraphQL, the what's and the hows, and how GitHub has launched its public GraphQL API.

Transcript

1. Implementing and Using GraphQL Kyle Daigle Platform Interface Engineering Manager, GitHub Dan Schafer Software Engineer, Co-Creater of GraphQL, Facebook
2. Kyle Daigle @kdaigle kdaigle@github.com
3. Today • Over 250,000 OAuth Applications • Over 6,000,000 users have installed an OAuth app • REST API v3 • Webhooks
4. But not without some pain...
5. Pains of our API • Getting the data you want can be multiple REST calls away • It’s difficult for us to release comprehensive REST responses that don’t expose too much data that’s too expensive to calculate. • When we’re forced to make a change, it’s very hard to know who it will impact • GitHub uses the API for its own integrations but not for product features
6. Announcing GitHub GraphQL API
7. We did some investigation...
8. Built a proof of concept...
9. Woah.
10. githubengineering.com
11. We headed to the source...
12. Introduction to GraphQL Dan Schafer Software Engineer, Facebook
13. Why GraphQL?
15. Join-tables http://url.api/reso
17. GraphQL
18. { me { name } }
19. { "me": { "name": "Daniel Schafer" } } { me { name } }
20. { me { name profilePic { width height url } } }
21. { "me": { "name": "Daniel Schafer", "profilePic": { "width": 50, "height": 50, "url": "https://cdn/50.jpg" } } } { me { name profilePic { width height url } } }
22. { me { name friends { name } } } { "me": { "name": "Daniel Schafer", "friends": [ { "name": "Kyle Daigle" }, { "name": "Nick Schrock" }, { "name": "Lee Byron" },
23. { me { name friends { name events { name } } } } { "me": { "name": "Daniel Schafer", "friends": [ { "name": "Kyle Daigle", "events": [ { "name": "Github Universe" }, { "name": "GraphQL Meetup" }, ] }
24. { me { name friends(first: 1) { name events(first: 1) { name } } } } { "me": { "name": "Daniel Schafer", "friends": [ { "name": "Kyle Daigle", "events": [ { "name": "Github Universe" } ] } ] } }
25. Benefits of GraphQL
26. Mental Model for
 Product Developers
27. Type System
28. { me { name friends(first: 1) { name events(first: 1) { name } } } }
29. { me { name friends(first: 1) { name events(first: 1) { name } } } }
30. { me { name friends(first: 1) { name events(first: 1) { name } } } } type Query { me: User user(id: Int): User }
31. { me { name friends(first: 1) { name events(first: 1) { name } } } } type User { name: String profilePic(size: Int = 50): Image friends(first: Int): [User] events(first: Int): [Event] }
32. { me { name friends(first: 1) { name events(first: 1) { name } } } } type User { name: String profilePic(size: Int = 50): Image friends(first: Int): [User] events(first: Int): [Event] }
33. { me { name friends(first: 1) { name events(first: 1) { name } } } } type Event { name: String attendees(first: Int): [User] }
34. { me { name attendees(first: 1) { name } } }
35. { me { name attendees(first: 1) { name } } }
36. { me { name attendees(first: 1) { name } } } type User { name: String profilePic(size: Int = 50): Image friends(first: Int): [User] events(first: Int): [Event] }
37. Introspection
38. { __schema { types { name fields { name type { name } } } } } type Query { me: User user(id: Int): User } type User { name: String profilePic(size: Int = 50): Image friends(first: Int): [User] events(first: Int): [Event] } type Event { name: String attendees(first: Int): [User] }
39. Power to the Clients
40. Models Views Here's your 123 model CLIENT Model: 123, plz APP SERVER
41. Models Views v2 Here's your 123 model CLIENT Model: 123, plz APP SERVER
42. Models Models v2 Here's your 123 v2 model CLIENT Model: 123, v2, plz APP SERVER Views v2
43. CLIENT APP SERVER Views v3 Models Models v2 Models v3 Here's your 123 v3 model Model: 123, v3, plz
44. CLIENT APP SERVER Models v2 Models v3 Models v4 Views v4 Here's your 123 v4 model Model: 123, v4, plz
45. Models Views Here's your 123 model CLIENT Model: 123, plz APP SERVER Model: 123, plz Model: 123, plz Model: 123, plz Model: 123, plz Model: 123, plz
46. Capabilities Requirements CLIENT APP SERVER
47. Type System Views Models This data shape, plz Here's your specific data CLIENT APP SERVER
48. Views v2 Views Models Models v2 This data shape, plz Here's your specific data CLIENT APP SERVER Type System
49. Views v3 Views v2 Views Models Models v2 Models v3 This data shape, plz Here's your specific data CLIENT APP SERVER Type System
50. iOS Feed Android Feed Ads Manager iPad Pages iOS Messenger Facebook Lite
51. GraphQL
52. graphql.org
53. We love collaborating on GraphQL.
54. rmosolgo/graphql-ruby shopify/graphql-batch
55. We are changing how we work to help improve the platform.
56. We felt this building the Projects REST API.
58. Be transparent.
59. Public GitHub Platform Roadmap developer.github.com
60. Collaborate directly
 with integrators.
61. platform.github.community
63. GitHub Platform Forum • Public forum to discuss early access and pre-release features • Staffed by GitHub Platform Engineers, Product Managers, and Support staff • Feedback can immediately be used by GitHub engineers • Integrators can work with each other to share novel uses and best practices
64. Change how we build features at GitHub.
65. Early Access Program
66. Early Access Program • We will provide a communication channel to collaboratively impact the direction and approach of a project. • We will strive to keep documentation updated, but you can expect unannounced breaking changes as we develop quickly. • We may stop or pause access to Early Access releases at any point. • You will encounter bugs and there will be reliability and stability hiccups.
67. Systemic support from Product Managers, Support, and Engineers makes this possible.
68. GitHub Engineers building on top of the same platform.
69. Access to more data sooner.
70. We’re solving new problems with GraphQL in the public.
71. Using OAuth tokens to limit field & object visibility.
72. query { viewer } user
73. query { viewer { repositories(first: 3) { edges { node { name } } } } } user repo
74. Will change to support Integrations’ new permission system.
75. Keeping some schema bits internal while letting the rest be public.
76. User = GraphQL::Object.define do name “User” available_for_targets [:public] end
77. User = GraphQL::Object.define do name “User” available_if_flagged [:super_secret_ship] end
78. There are also a lot of cool parts of GraphQL in public.
79. Query Introspection
80. Let’s give it a shot.
81. developer.github.com
82. github/graphql-client
83. github/github-graphql-rails-example
84. graphql.org
85. platform.github.community
87. FIN