In this blog, we are learning about ‘Flutter and GraphQL. On the other hand, GraphQL is a modern query language and runtime for APIs. it allows developers to retrieve and manipulate data with a single endpoint.
One of the main benefits of using GraphQL with Flutter is that it allows developers to reduce the number of API calls needed to fetch data. With traditional REST APIs, developers often need to make multiple API calls to retrieve the data required for an app.
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However, with GraphQL, developers can retrieve all the data they need in a single API call as they can specify exactly what data they need using GraphQL queries. This not only speeds up the data retrieval process but also reduces the amount of network traffic and improves the overall performance of the app.
Add pubspec.yaml file:
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flutter pub add graphql_flutter |
Import package:
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import 'package:graphql_flutter/graphql_flutter.dart'; |
look at a scenario:
Certainly, let’s look at a scenario where Flutter and GraphQL are used in together.
Consider creating a smartphone application that lists movies together with their titles, release dates, and reviews.
We must first configure a GraphQL client in our Flutter application. We can utilize the GraphQL flutter package, which offers a selection of Flutter widgets and tools for GraphQL development.
Here is a demonstration of how to set up a GraphQL client and create a query to retrieve the movie data.
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import 'package:flutter/material.dart'; import 'package:graphql_flutter/graphql_flutter.dart'; class MovieListScreen extends StatelessWidget { @override Widget build(BuildContext context) { return Scaffold( appBar: AppBar( title: Text('Movie List'), ), body: Query( options: QueryOptions( document: gql(''' query Movies { movies { title releaseDate rating } } '''), ), builder: (QueryResult result, {VoidCallback refetch}) { if (result.hasException) { return Text(result.exception.toString()); } if (result.isLoading) { return Center(child: CircularProgressIndicator()); } final List<dynamic> movies = result.data['movies']; return ListView.builder( itemCount: movies.length, itemBuilder: (BuildContext context, int index) { final movie = movies[index]; return ListTile( title: Text(movie['title']), subtitle: Text(movie['releaseDate']), trailing: Text(movie['rating'].toString()), ); }, ); }, ), ); } } |
In this example, we are using the Query widget provided graphql_flutter to make a query to the GraphQL API. The options parameter specifies the GraphQL query we want to make, and the builder parameter specifies how to display the data returned by the query.
When the query result is returned, we check for any exceptions or loading status and then extract the movie data from the result.data field. Finally, we display the movie data using a ListView.builder widget, which builds a list of ListTile widgets, each displaying the title, release date, and rating of a movie.
This is just a simple example, but it shows how Flutter and GraphQL can work together to retrieve and display data in a mobile app. With the power of GraphQL and the simplicity of Flutter, developers can create robust and performant mobile apps with ease.
Conclusion
Congratulations!! 🤩 You have learned to set up a GraphQL client and create a query to retrieve the data.
graphql_flutter provides an idiomatic flutter API and widgets for GraphQL. Visit the link for more about the Graph QL.
Thanks for reading this blog. You can also check other blogs from here for more knowledge.
Always be ready for learning 🙂