2018-06-25 04:59:00 -04:00
|
|
|
# GraphQL API (Alpha)
|
2018-05-21 03:52:24 -04:00
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
> [Introduced][ce-19008] in GitLab 11.0.
|
|
|
|
|
2018-05-23 03:55:14 -04:00
|
|
|
[GraphQL](https://graphql.org/) is a query language for APIs that
|
|
|
|
allows clients to request exactly the data they need, making it
|
|
|
|
possible to get all required data in a limited number of requests.
|
2018-05-21 03:52:24 -04:00
|
|
|
|
2018-05-23 03:55:14 -04:00
|
|
|
The GraphQL data (fields) can be described in the form of types,
|
|
|
|
allowing clients to use [clientside GraphQL
|
|
|
|
libraries](https://graphql.org/code/#graphql-clients) to consume the
|
|
|
|
API and avoid manual parsing.
|
2018-05-21 03:52:24 -04:00
|
|
|
|
2018-05-23 03:55:14 -04:00
|
|
|
Since there's no fixed endpoints and datamodel, new abilities can be
|
|
|
|
added to the API without creating breaking changes. This allows us to
|
|
|
|
have a versionless API as described in [the GraphQL
|
|
|
|
documentation](https://graphql.org/learn/best-practices/#versioning).
|
2018-05-21 03:52:24 -04:00
|
|
|
|
2019-05-01 11:19:54 -04:00
|
|
|
## Vision
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We want the GraphQL API to be the **primary** means of interacting
|
|
|
|
programmatically with GitLab. To achieve this, it needs full coverage - anything
|
|
|
|
possible in the REST API should also be possible in the GraphQL API.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To help us meet this vision, the frontend should use GraphQL in preference to
|
|
|
|
the REST API for new features, although the alpha status of GraphQL may prevent
|
|
|
|
this from being a possibility at times.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There are no plans to deprecate the REST API. To reduce the technical burden of
|
|
|
|
supporting two APIs in parallel, they should share implementations as much as
|
|
|
|
possible.
|
|
|
|
|
2018-05-23 03:55:14 -04:00
|
|
|
## Enabling the GraphQL feature
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The GraphQL API itself is currently in Alpha, and therefore hidden behind a
|
|
|
|
feature flag. You can enable the feature using the [features api][features-api] on a self-hosted instance.
|
2018-05-21 03:52:24 -04:00
|
|
|
|
2018-05-23 03:55:14 -04:00
|
|
|
For example:
|
2018-05-21 03:52:24 -04:00
|
|
|
|
2018-05-23 03:55:14 -04:00
|
|
|
```shell
|
2018-12-27 04:03:08 -05:00
|
|
|
curl --data "value=100" --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/features/graphql
|
2018-05-21 03:52:24 -04:00
|
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Available queries
|
|
|
|
|
2019-04-23 13:24:48 -04:00
|
|
|
A first iteration of a GraphQL API includes the following queries
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1. `project` : Within a project it is also possible to fetch a `mergeRequest` by IID.
|
|
|
|
1. `group` : Only basic group information is currently supported.
|
2018-05-21 03:52:24 -04:00
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## GraphiQL
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The API can be explored by using the GraphiQL IDE, it is available on your
|
2018-05-23 03:55:14 -04:00
|
|
|
instance on `gitlab.example.com/-/graphql-explorer`.
|
2018-05-21 03:52:24 -04:00
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[ce-19008]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/merge_requests/19008
|
2018-05-23 03:55:14 -04:00
|
|
|
[features-api]: ../features.md
|