What is GraphQL

Web applications today play a significant role, with a large number of devices connected to the internet, and data is transmitted across disparate platforms at an unprecedented rate. Many systems and platforms require applications to adapt quickly and efficiently to the needs of consumers. In 2000, the Representation State Transfer (REST) was introduced, and the developers quickly adopted it. However, due to the growth of consumers and the different needs, this architectural style, in the way it is used, revealed some weaknesses related to the performance and flexibility of the applications. These are or can be addressed with GraphQL. In this chapter several alternatives to use GraphQL are explained and their benefits in terms of performance and flexibility. Some prototypes were implemented in an organization, and the results of some experiments were analyzed in light of possible gains in performance.