Course 37 - Building Web Apps with Ruby On Rails | Episode 18:Navigating GraphQL and the Graphiti Middle Ground — CyberCode Academy

In this lesson, you’ll learn about: REST limitations, GraphQL fundamentals, and the hybrid approach with Graphiti1. The Problem with REST APIsUsing REST:🔹 Key limitations:

Overfetching
- Client receives more data than needed
Underfetching
- Requires multiple requests to get all data
No strict typing
- Errors happen at runtime
- Heavy reliance on documentation

👉 Key Insight
REST is simple and scalable—but not always efficient2. Example of Overfetching🔹 Request:GET /users/1 🔹 Response:{ "id": 1, "name": "John", "email": "john@example.com", "address": "...", "preferences": "...", "settings": "..." } 👉 Problem:

Client may only need name

👉 Key Insight
REST responses are fixed by the server, not flexible for clients3. Introducing GraphQLUsing GraphQL:🔹 What it solves:

Clients request exactly what they need

🔹 Example query:{ user(id: 1) { name } } 👉 Response:{ "data": { "user": { "name": "John" } } } 👉 Key Insight
GraphQL eliminates overfetching and underfetching4. GraphQL Schema (Core Concept)🔹 Schema:

Defines types and relationships
Acts as a contract between client and server

🔹 Example:type User { id: ID name: String email: String } 👉 Key Insight
GraphQL is strongly typed, unlike REST5. Queries vs Mutations🔹 Queries (read data):{ users { name } } 🔹 Mutations (write data):mutation { createUser(name: "John") { id } } 👉 Key Insight
GraphQL separates read and write operations clearly6. Testing with GraphiQL🔹 Tool:

GraphiQL

🔹 Features:

Run queries in browser
Explore schema
Debug

👉 Key Insight
GraphiQL improves developer experience significantly7. Downsides of GraphQL🔹 Trade-offs:

No native HTTP caching
More complex setup
Boilerplate code
No strict naming conventions

👉 Key Insight
GraphQL flexibility comes with added complexity8. Introducing Graphiti (Hybrid Approach)Using Graphiti:🔹 Goal:

Combine REST simplicity + GraphQL flexibility

🔹 Features:

Filtering
Sorting
Including relationships

👉 Key Insight
Graphiti gives you flexibility without abandoning REST9. Graphiti Resources🔹 Concept:

Define API behavior using “Resources”

🔹 Example:class UserResource < ApplicationResource attribute :name, :string end 👉 Key Insight
Resources act like a structured API layer10. REST vs GraphQL vs Graphiti🔹 REST:

Simple
Fast
Limited flexibility

🔹 GraphQL:

Flexible
Precise data fetching
More complex

🔹 Graphiti:

Balanced approach
Keeps HTTP benefits
Adds flexibility

👉 Key Insight
There is no perfect solution—only trade-offs11. When to Use Each🔹 Use REST:

Simple APIs
Standard CRUD apps

🔹 Use GraphQL:

Complex frontend needs
Multiple data sources

🔹 Use Graphiti:

Want flexibility + REST structure

👉 Key Insight
Choose based on project complexity and team needsKey Takeaways

REST suffers from overfetching and lack of typing
GraphQL provides flexible, precise queries
GraphQL introduces complexity and trade-offs
Graphiti offers a middle-ground solution
API design is about balancing performance, flexibility, and simplicity

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