GraphQL Glossary + FAQ resources

We work in an industry where we commonly use buzzwords and jargon to describe the simplest of things. When you’re learning a new technology, it can often be challenging because you have to understand the vocabulary before writing any code.

Whether you’re experimenting with GraphQL or running Apollo in production, we want to make every developer’s journey as smooth as possible. This is why we’re releasing two new resources to help you along the way: the GraphQL Glossary and an FAQ guide! 🚀

As much as we try to eliminate confusing jargon in our documentation, you’ll probably encounter some unfamiliar GraphQL terms when you start building apps with Apollo. We understand that a head-first guide into the nitty-gritty of GraphQL vocabulary goes a long way to simplify the GraphQL learning process.

Recently, I recommended some resources to a developer trying to get the hang of GraphQL and she requested for them in this order:

GraphQL concepts GraphQL on the backend GraphQL on the frontend

In my response to her, I also provided additional resources on performance monitoring and guides on how to succeed with GraphQL and the Apollo platform. Immediately, I wished there was a simple, straight-forward guide of GraphQL words and terms that I could show her instead.

No more wishes! It’s here now. We have defined some of the most common GraphQL vocabulary here in this handy cheat sheet. We hope that this practical and accessible reference will help you on your journey in learning and comprehending GraphQL.

We also came up with a list of frequently asked questions pertinent to different stages in the adoption of GraphQL. As an individual developer, or a team of product developers, moving from experimenting with GraphQL to adoption in your product architecture with open-source platforms like Apollo, several questions pop up such as:

How do I set up caching and authentication? When should we start tracking the performance of our queries? What’s the best way to design a schema? What kind of caching strategy is best for our app?

Check out the FAQ and get answers to some of the challenges you might come across along the way. It’s a living guide and will constantly be updated as we learn more about the challenges product teams experience on their GraphQL journey.

Conclusion

To learn more about GraphQL, check out our fundamentals and new best practices guides about topics like schema design, versioning, access control, and more. Your success is our goal!

Finally, I hope you’ll also join us at the 3rd annual GraphQL Summit on Nov 7–8 in San Francisco. With over 800 attendees expected, it’s the largest GraphQL developer event in the world. Super early bird tickets are selling fast, so register today to reserve your spot!