graphql-react

A GraphQL client for React using modern context and hooks APIs that is lightweight (< 3.5 KB size limited) but powerful; the first Relay and Apollo alternative with server side rendering.

• Setup
• Usage
• Examples
• Support
• API
• Apollo comparison

Setup

Next.js setup

See the next-graphql-react setup instructions.

Vanilla React setup

To install graphql-react from npm run:

npm install graphql-react

Create a single GraphQL instance and use GraphQLProvider to provide it for your app.

For server side rendering see ssr().

Usage

Use the useGraphQL React hook in your components to make queries and mutations, or use the GraphQL instance method operate directly.

Examples

• The official Next.js example.
• The Next.js example deployed at graphql-react.now.sh.

Here is a basic example using the GitHub GraphQL API, with tips commented:

import { GraphQL, GraphQLProvider, useGraphQL } from 'graphql-react';
import React from 'react';

// Any GraphQL API can be queried in components, where fetch options for the
// URI, auth headers, etc. can be specified. The `useGraphQL` hook will do less
// work for following renders if `fetchOptionsOverride` is defined outside the
// component, or is memoized using the `React.useMemo` hook within the
// component. Typically it’s exported in a config module for use throughout the
// project. The default fetch options received by the override function are
// tailored to the operation; usually the body is JSON but if there are files in
// the variables it will be a `FormData` instance for a GraphQL multipart
// request.
function fetchOptionsOverride(options) {
  options.url = 'https://api.github.com/graphql';
  options.headers.Authorization = `Bearer ${process.env.GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN}`;
}

// The query is just a string; no need to use `gql` from `graphql-tag`. The
// special comment before the string allows editor syntax highlighting, Prettier
// formatting and linting. The cache system doesn’t require `__typename` or `id`
// fields to be queried.
const query = /* GraphQL */ `
  query($repoId: ID!) {
    repo: node(id: $repoId) {
      ... on Repository {
        stargazers {
          totalCount
        }
      }
    }
  }
`;

function RepoStarCount({ repoId }) {
  // Memoization allows the `useGraphQL` hook to avoid work in following renders
  // with the same GraphQL operation.
  const operation = React.useMemo(
    () => ({
      query,
      variables: {
        repoId,
      },
    }),
    [repoId]
  );

  // The `useGraphQL` hook can be used for both queries and mutations.
  const { loading, cacheValue } = useGraphQL({
    operation,
    fetchOptionsOverride,

    // Load the query whenever the component mounts. This is desirable for
    // queries to display content, but not for on demand situations like
    // pagination view more buttons or forms that submit mutations.
    loadOnMount: true,

    // Reload the query whenever a global cache reload is signaled.
    loadOnReload: true,

    // Reload the query whenever the global cache is reset. Resets immediately
    // delete the cache and are mostly only used when logging out the user.
    loadOnReset: true,
  });

  return cacheValue?.data
    ? cacheValue.data.repo.stargazers.totalCount
    : loading
    ? // Data is often reloaded, so don’t assume loading indicates no data.
      'Loading…'
    : // Detailed error info is available in the `cacheValue` properties
      // `fetchError`, `httpError`, `parseError` and `graphQLErrors`. A
      // combination of errors is possible, and an error doesn’t necessarily
      // mean data is unavailable.
      'Error!';
}

// Zero config GraphQL client that manages the cache.
const graphql = new GraphQL();

const App = () => (
  <GraphQLProvider graphql={graphql}>
    <RepoStarCount repoId="MDEwOlJlcG9zaXRvcnkxMTk5Mzg5Mzk=" />
  </GraphQLProvider>
);

Support

• Node.js ^10.17.0 || ^12.0.0 || >= 13.7.0
• Browsers > 0.5%, not OperaMini all, not dead

Consider polyfilling:

• Promise
• fetch
• FormData

API

Table of contents

• class GraphQL
  • GraphQL instance method off
  • GraphQL instance method on
  • GraphQL instance method operate
  • GraphQL instance method reload
  • GraphQL instance method reset
  • GraphQL instance property cache
  • GraphQL instance property operations
  • GraphQL event cache
  • GraphQL event fetch
  • GraphQL event reload
  • GraphQL event reset
• function GraphQLProvider
• function hashObject
• function reportCacheErrors
• function ssr
• function useGraphQL
• constant GraphQLContext
• type GraphQLCache
• type GraphQLCacheKey
• type GraphQLCacheKeyCreator
• type GraphQLCacheValue
• type GraphQLFetchOptions
• type GraphQLFetchOptionsOverride
• type GraphQLOperation
• type GraphQLOperationLoading
• type GraphQLOperationStatus
• type HttpError
• type ReactNode

class GraphQL

A lightweight GraphQL client that caches queries and mutations.

See

• reportCacheErrors to setup error reporting.

Examples

Ways to import.

import { GraphQL } from 'graphql-react';

import GraphQL from 'graphql-react/universal/GraphQL.js';

Ways to require.

const { GraphQL } = require('graphql-react');

const GraphQL = require('graphql-react/universal/GraphQL');

Construct a GraphQL client.

import { GraphQL } from 'graphql-react';

const graphql = new GraphQL();

GraphQL instance method off

Removes an event listener.

GraphQL instance method on

Adds an event listener.

See

• reportCacheErrors can be used with this to setup error reporting.

GraphQL instance method operate

Loads a GraphQL operation, visible in GraphQL operations. Emits a GraphQL fetch event once the fetch request has been initiated and the map of loading GraphQL operations has been updated, and a GraphQL cache event once it’s loaded into the GraphQL cache.

Returns: GraphQLOperationLoading — Loading GraphQL operation details.

Fires

• GraphQL event fetch
• GraphQL event cache

GraphQL instance method reload

Signals that GraphQL cache subscribers such as the useGraphQL React hook should reload their GraphQL operation.

Fires

• GraphQL event reload

Examples

Reloading the GraphQL cache.

graphql.reload();

GraphQL instance method reset

Resets the GraphQL cache, useful when a user logs out.

Fires

• GraphQL event reset

Examples

Resetting the GraphQL cache.

graphql.reset();

GraphQL instance property cache

Cache of loaded GraphQL operations. You probably don’t need to interact with this unless you’re implementing a server side rendering framework.

Type: GraphQLCache

Examples

Export cache as JSON.

const exportedCache = JSON.stringify(graphql.cache);

Example cache JSON.

{
  "a1bCd2": {
    "data": {
      "viewer": {
        "name": "Jayden Seric"
      }
    }
  }
}

GraphQL instance property operations

A map of loading GraphQL operations, listed under their GraphQL cache key in the order they were initiated. You probably don’t need to interact with this unless you’re implementing a server side rendering framework.

Type: object<GraphQLCacheKey, Array<Promise<GraphQLCacheValue>>>

Examples

How to await all loading GraphQL operations.

await Promise.all(Object.values(graphql.operations).flat());

GraphQL event cache

Signals that a GraphQL operation was fetched and cached.

Type: object

GraphQL event fetch

Signals that a GraphQL operation is being fetched.

Type: object

GraphQL event reload

Signals that GraphQL cache subscribers such as the useGraphQL React hook should reload their GraphQL operation.

Type: object

GraphQL event reset

Signals that the GraphQL cache has been reset.

Type: object

function GraphQLProvider

A React component that provides a GraphQL instance for an app.

Returns: ReactNode — React virtual DOM node.

See

• GraphQLContext is provided via this component.
• useGraphQL React hook requires this component to be an ancestor to work.

Examples

Ways to import.

import { GraphQLProvider } from 'graphql-react';

import GraphQLProvider from 'graphql-react/universal/GraphQLProvider.js';

Ways to require.

const { GraphQLProvider } = require('graphql-react');

const GraphQLProvider = require('graphql-react/universal/GraphQLProvider');

Provide a GraphQL instance for an app.

import { GraphQL, GraphQLProvider } from 'graphql-react';
import React from 'react';

const graphql = new GraphQL();

const App = ({ children }) => (
  <GraphQLProvider graphql={graphql}>{children}</GraphQLProvider>
);

function hashObject

Hashes an object.

Returns: string — A hash.

See

• GraphQLCacheKeyCreator functions may use this to derive a GraphQL cache key.
• GraphQL instance method operate uses this as a default value for options.cacheKeyCreator.
• useGraphQL React hook this uses this as a default value for options.cacheKeyCreator.

Examples

Ways to import.

import { hashObject } from 'graphql-react';

import hashObject from 'graphql-react/universal/hashObject.js';

Ways to require.

const { hashObject } = require('graphql-react');

const hashObject = require('graphql-react/universal/hashObject');

function reportCacheErrors

A GraphQL cache event handler that reports fetch, HTTP, parse and GraphQL errors via console.log(). In a browser environment the grouped error details are expandable.

Examples

Ways to import.

import { reportCacheErrors } from 'graphql-react';

import reportCacheErrors from 'graphql-react/universal/reportCacheErrors.js';

Ways to require.

const { reportCacheErrors } = require('graphql-react');

const reportCacheErrors = require('graphql-react/universal/reportCacheErrors');

GraphQL initialized to report cache errors.

import { GraphQL, reportCacheErrors } from 'graphql-react';

const graphql = new GraphQL();
graphql.on('cache', reportCacheErrors);

function ssr

Asynchronously server side renders a React node, preloading all GraphQL queries set to loadOnMount. After resolving, cache can be exported from the GraphQL instance property cache for serialization (usually to JSON) and transport to the client for hydration via the GraphQL constructor parameter options.cache.

Be sure to globally polyfill fetch.

Returns: Promise<string> — Promise resolving the rendered HTML string.

See

• ReactDOMServer docs.
• next-graphql-react to use this API in a Next.js project.

Examples

Ways to import.

import { ssr } from 'graphql-react/server';

import ssr from 'graphql-react/server/GraphQL.js';

Ways to require.

const { ssr } = require('graphql-react/server');

const ssr = require('graphql-react/server/ssr');

SSR function that resolves a HTML string and cache JSON for client hydration.

import { GraphQL, GraphQLProvider } from 'graphql-react';
import { ssr } from 'graphql-react/server';
import React from 'react';
import ReactDOMServer from 'react-dom/server';
import { App } from './components/App.mjs';

async function render() {
  const graphql = new GraphQL();
  const page = (
    <GraphQLProvider graphql={graphql}>
      <App />
    </GraphQLProvider>
  );
  const html = await ssr(graphql, page, ReactDOMServer.renderToString);
  const cache = JSON.stringify(graphql.cache);
  return { html, cache };
}

SSR function that resolves a HTML string suitable for a static page.

import { GraphQL, GraphQLProvider } from 'graphql-react';
import { ssr } from 'graphql-react/server';
import React from 'react';
import { App } from './components/App.mjs';

function render() {
  const graphql = new GraphQL();
  const page = (
    <GraphQLProvider graphql={graphql}>
      <App />
    </GraphQLProvider>
  );
  return ssr(graphql, page);
}

function useGraphQL

A React hook to manage a GraphQL operation in a component.

Returns: GraphQLOperationStatus — GraphQL operation status.

See

• GraphQLContext is required for this hook to work.

Examples

Ways to import.

import { useGraphQL } from 'graphql-react';

import useGraphQL from 'graphql-react/universal/useGraphQL.js';

Ways to require.

const { useGraphQL } = require('graphql-react');

const useGraphQL = require('graphql-react/universal/useGraphQL');

Options guide for common situations.

Situation	loadOnMount	loadOnReload	loadOnReset	reloadOnLoad	resetOnLoad
Profile query	✔️	✔️	✔️
Login mutation					✔️
Logout mutation					✔️
Change password mutation
Change name mutation				✔️
Like a post mutation				✔️

constant GraphQLContext

React context object for a GraphQL instance.

Type: object

See

• GraphQLProvider is used to provide this context.
• useGraphQL React hook requires an ancestor GraphQLContext Provider to work.

Examples

Ways to import.

import { GraphQLContext } from 'graphql-react';

import GraphQLContext from 'graphql-react/universal/GraphQLContext.js';

Ways to require.

const { GraphQLContext } = require('graphql-react');

const GraphQLContext = require('graphql-react/universal/GraphQLContext');

A button component that resets the GraphQL cache.

import { GraphQLContext } from 'graphql-react';
import React from 'react';

const ResetCacheButton = () => {
  const graphql = React.useContext(GraphQLContext);
  return <button onClick={graphql.reset}>Reset cache</button>;
};

type GraphQLCache

A GraphQL cache map of GraphQL operation results.

Type: object<GraphQLCacheKey, GraphQLCacheValue>

See

• GraphQL constructor accepts this type for options.cache.
• GraphQL instance property cache is this type.

type GraphQLCacheKey

A GraphQL cache key to identify a GraphQL cache value. Typically created by a GraphQL cache key creator that hashes the fetch options of the associated GraphQL operation using hashObject.

Type: string

type GraphQLCacheKeyCreator

GraphQL cache key creator for a GraphQL operation. It can either use the provided fetch options (e.g. derive a hash), or simply return a hardcoded string.

Type: Function

See

• GraphQL instance method operate accepts this type for options.cacheKeyCreator.
• useGraphQL React hook accepts this type for options.cacheKeyCreator.

type GraphQLCacheValue

JSON serializable GraphQL operation result that includes errors and data.

Type: object

type GraphQLFetchOptions

GraphQL API URL and polyfillable fetch options. The url property gets extracted and the rest are used as fetch options.

Type: object

See

• GraphQLFetchOptionsOverride functions accept this type.

type GraphQLFetchOptionsOverride

Overrides default GraphQL fetch options. Mutate the provided options object; there is no need to return it.

Type: Function

See

• GraphQL instance method operate accepts this type for options.fetchOptionsOverride.
• useGraphQL React hook accepts this type for options.fetchOptionsOverride.

Examples

Setting GraphQL fetch options for an imaginary API.

(options) => {
  options.url = 'https://api.example.com/graphql';
  options.credentials = 'include';
};

type GraphQLOperation

A GraphQL operation. Additional properties may be used; all are sent to the GraphQL server.

Type: object

See

• GraphQL instance method operate accepts this type for options.operation.
• useGraphQL React hook accepts this type for options.operation.

type GraphQLOperationLoading

A loading GraphQL operation.

Type: object

See

• GraphQL instance method operate returns this type.

type GraphQLOperationStatus

The status of a GraphQL operation managed by the useGraphQL React hook.

Type: object

See

• useGraphQL React hook returns this type.

type HttpError

fetch HTTP error.

Type: object

type ReactNode

A React virtual DOM node; anything that can be rendered.

Type: undefined | null | boolean | number | string | React.Element | Array<ReactNode>

Apollo comparison

Bundle impact

graphql-react

A < 3.5 KB bundle impact is guaranteed by Size Limit tests. The impact is smaller than the bundle size badge suggests as the internal object-assign dependency is shared with react.

Dependency	Install size	Bundle size
graphql-react

The bundle impact may be smaller, depending on how much of the API you use.

Apollo

Several dependencies must be installed for a minimal Apollo project.

Dependency	Install size	Bundle size
@apollo/client
graphql

Tree shaking bundlers will eliminate unused graphql exports.

Consuming the API multiple ways in a project or it’s dependencies causes massive duplication in a bundle (doubling or tripling the bundle impact); see ESM.

In addition, possibleTypes config impacts bundle size relative to the number and complexity of schema unions and interfaces; see Cache strategy.

ESM

graphql-react

Supports both CJS and ESM in Node.js whilst avoiding the dual package hazard and ensuring private internal code can’t be accessed from outside the package, via package.json exports field conditional exports.

Individual parts of the public API exist in separate CJS .js files that can be accessed via:

• Deep default imports (recommended). Only what’s needed gets bundled, without relying on tree shaking.
• Main index named imports. Webpack v5+ can tree shake imports from the bare graphql-react specifier, while earlier versions and Rollup can only tree shake imports from graphql-react/universal/index.mjs.

Consuming the API multiple ways in a project or it’s dependencies doesn’t cause duplication in a bundle.

Apollo

Faux ESM that can’t be used by Node.js (files don't have the .mjs extension and import specifiers don't contain file extensions) is provided via a package module field for tree shaking bundlers like webpack and Rollup.

Arbitrary CJS bundles are available at the main index and specific deep paths.

Consuming the API multiple ways in a project or it’s dependencies causes massive duplication in a bundle. This can easily double or triple the bundle impact.

Writing queries

graphql-react

Uses template strings:

const QUERY = /* GraphQL */ `
  {
    viewer {
      id
    }
  }
`;

The optional /* GraphQL */ comment signals the syntax for highlighters and linters.

Apollo

Uses template strings tagged with gql, re-exported from graphql-tag:

import { gql } from '@apollo/client';

const QUERY = gql`
  {
    viewer {
      id
    }
  }
`;

This complexity impacts bundle size and runtime performance. babel-plugin-graphql-tag can be used to process the queries at build time, but this replaces the original strings with larger objects.

Cache strategy

graphql-react

The GraphQL client has no GraphQL API specific config; fetch options are determined on demand at the component level. Multiple GraphQL APIs can be queried!

GraphQL operations are cached under hashes of their fetch options.

fetch, HTTP, parse and GraphQL errors can be cached, and therefore server side rendered and transported to the client for hydration and initial render.

Apollo

Apollo Client is configured for one GraphQL API per app.

GraphQL operation data is deconstructed based upon id and __typename fields into a “normalized” cache. These fields must be queried even if they aren’t used in components.

Errors aren’t cached, and therefore can’t be server side rendered and transported to the client for hydration and initial render.

To cache fragments on unions and interfaces properly, Apollo Client must be configured with schema knowledge extracted at build time, via possibleTypes. It’s challenging to reconfigure and redeploy clients whenever the GraphQL schema updates. Also, the config increases the client bundle size; see Bundle impact.

Stale cache

graphql-react

Typically, cache is refreshed for mounting components.

GraphQL operations can optionally refresh all cache except their own fresh cache; handy for mutations.

Apollo

Typically, cache isn’t refreshed for mounting components.

GraphQL mutations only update the cache with the contents of their payload. The prescribed approach is to try to manually update other normalized cache after mutations using complicated and often buggy APIs. Resetting all cache is possible, but it also wipes the result of the last operation.

File uploads

graphql-react

Supports file uploads out of the box, compliant with the GraphQL multipart request spec (authored by @jaydenseric) which is supported by popular GraphQL servers including Apollo Server. File input values and more can be used as query or mutation arguments.

Apollo

Supports file uploads if you manually setup Apollo Client with apollo-upload-client (also by @jaydenseric).

Subscriptions

graphql-react

Not supported yet, see #15.

Apollo

Supported.

TypeScript

graphql-react

Written in ECMAScript; no types are exported. Type definitions are available via @types/graphql-react.

Apollo

Written in TypeScript; types are exported.

Next.js integration

graphql-react

Has an official example using next-graphql-react, which is an easily installed integration to enable server side rendered GraphQL queries.

Also has more detailed examples, deployed at graphql-react.now.sh.

Apollo

Has an official example with boilerplate code to manually copy. It’s difficult to stay up to date with the frequent changes.