GraphQL is a big deal: why isn't it the industry standard for querying databases?

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GraphQL is fast becoming the go-to query language for businesses to interact with their data. Although data management is a top concern for many businesses, many people don't really understand what GraphQL does or why it's so popular.

On average, the world generates about 2.5 quintillion bytes of data per day. Businesses need a way to collect this data and use it effectively. A lot of data is generated in apps (for example, a smartphone customer service app that lets customers tell you if they're happy or if they're having problems and need help with troubleshooting). Applications need a way to pass information to the backend; i.e. data management and storage tools. Then the data can be analyzed to uncover problems and develop solutions. And of course, it is bi-directional. Not only do apps send data to backends, but apps need data from the backend. For example, recommendations, delivery status, account balances. And that's what GraphQL is for: getting data to and from the backend. This is a more modern API that connects apps to backends.

While many tech leaders have heard of GraphQL, they've probably heard a lot more about SQL (Structured Query Language). SQL is essentially the industry standard for querying databases, although GraphQL is growing in popularity.

How does GraphQL compare to SQL, and is there a way to get the benefits of both when running queries?

GraphQL has a relatively simple and readable format for data access. The unique format allows for something called "nesting". Nesting is like asking a question inside another question to get a more specific answer. For example, instead of just asking for a list of all the dogs in a particular shelter, you can ask for a list of all the dogs and nested details about the breeds of those dogs (taken from a whole other, or even a a third party data source).

GraphQL's ability to nest queries allows a front-end developer to retrieve relevant information from an API in a single query. Since GraphQL is almost a universal query language, easily handling different data sources, you can also query multiple APIs and other data sources at the same time. GraphQL is therefore the right query language for heterogeneous backends, i.e. backends with different types of data sources in addition to databases.

SQL is extremely popular as a query language for databases. Unfortunately, it doesn't work for nested queries over heterogeneous data the same way GraphQL does. Also, the syntax of SQL can be complicated. Finally, SQL was never meant to be universal. SQL works very well for different databases, but not so well for APIs.

GraphQL vs SQL in action

Let's say you're working to restock your company's inventory and you need to know the tracking number and expected delivery date for two different orders shipped by two different companies. GraphQL would be able to get all of this information in a single query.

GraphQL also shows you this information in a hierarchical structure that makes it easy to see the relationship between the data items you've requested. In other words, you can see that the delivery date of your package is related to the tracking number you received.

For SQL, you may need to query your database for general information about the two different commands. Then you may need to sort through this information to find the shipping company names, followed by another request to each shipping company for tracking numbers. Finally, depending on the tracking number, you can make another request to get the expected delivery dates. Getting all this information would take a lot of code, and it might not be easy to get the syntax right. Personally, I've worked with SQL databases for decades, and even I often have to research the syntax for complex queries.

Why is SQL still so popular? ...