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Building GraphQL APIs With The Neo4j GraphQL Library & Neo4j AuraDB

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Learn how to use the Neo4j GraphQL library to build Node.js GraphQL APIs backed by the Neo4j graph database. This course covers building GraphQL APIs using the Neo4j GraphQL Library and the Neo4j AuraDB cloud-native database to build an e-comerce GraphQL API backed by a native graph database in the cloud.

Table of contents:

- Introduction To GraphQL & Neo4j

- The Neo4j GraphQL Library: modeling a graph with GraphQL type definitions; creating and querying a GraphQL API using the Neo4j GraphQL Library

- Adding Custom Logic With Cypher And Custom Resolvers: using the @cypher GraphQL schema directive; adding custom resolver functions with the Neo4j GraphQL Library

- Authorization With The Neo4j GraphQL Library: working with JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) to authenticate your API users; using the @auth GraphQL schema directive to attach authorization rules to your GraphQL API

Prerequisites:

No local setup is required for the workshop. We will make use of Codesandbox (a browser-based tool for editing and running code in the browser) and Neo4j AuraDB, a free managed database service. Some familiarity with GraphQL and JavaScript is helpful, however not strictly required. No experience with Neo4j is necessary.

This workshop has been presented at GraphQL Galaxy 2022, check out the latest edition of this Tech Conference.

FAQ

GraphQL is an API query language that uses a strict type system to define data structures. It allows clients to request exactly the data they need and receive responses that match the shape of their queries.

The Neo4j GraphQL library is a tool for building Node.js GraphQL APIs backed by Neo4j. It generates GraphQL CRUD operations, supports complex filtering, pagination, and custom logic using Cypher schema directives.

Custom logic in the Neo4j GraphQL library can be added using the @cypher schema directive, which allows custom Cypher queries to be attached to fields, queries, and mutations. Alternatively, custom resolvers can be implemented.

Using GraphQL with Neo4j reduces boilerplate code, addresses performance issues like the N+1 query problem, and leverages the graph database's optimized traversal capabilities. It also boosts developer productivity by auto-generating CRUD operations.

Cypher is the query language used in Neo4j. It is designed for querying and updating graph structures and is similar to SQL but optimized for graph databases.

To get started with Neo4j Aura, visit the Neo4j Aura website, sign up for an account, and select the free tier. You can create a new instance and load a dataset to begin working with the database.

The Neo4j GraphQL library supports authorization using the @auth schema directive. It uses JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) to define and enforce access control rules at the field and type levels.

Tools used include Neo4j Aura for hosted databases, Neo4j GraphQL Sandbox and CodeSandbox for running and testing code, and Neo4j GraphQL Toolbox for low-code development and testing.

Common use cases for graph databases include recommendation systems, fraud detection, network management, identity and access management, and data lineage tracking.

Neo4j is an open-source graph database that uses the property graph data model, where data is stored as nodes and relationships. It is optimized for traversing and querying graph structures.

graphql

William Lyon

146 min

06 Dec, 2022

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