apollo-upload-client

What is apollo-upload-client?

The apollo-upload-client package is a client for Apollo GraphQL that enables file uploads via GraphQL mutations. It extends Apollo Client to support file uploads using the GraphQL multipart request specification.

What are apollo-upload-client's main functionalities?

File Upload

This feature allows you to upload files via GraphQL mutations. The code sample demonstrates how to set up an Apollo Client with the upload link and perform a file upload mutation.

const { ApolloClient, InMemoryCache, HttpLink } = require('@apollo/client');
const { createUploadLink } = require('apollo-upload-client');

const link = createUploadLink({ uri: 'http://localhost:4000/graphql' });

const client = new ApolloClient({
  link,
  cache: new InMemoryCache()
});

const UPLOAD_FILE = gql`
  mutation($file: Upload!) {
    uploadFile(file: $file) {
      url
    }
  }
`;

const file = new File(['foo'], 'foo.txt', {
  type: 'text/plain',
});

client.mutate({
  mutation: UPLOAD_FILE,
  variables: { file }
}).then(response => {
  console.log(response.data.uploadFile.url);
});

Other packages similar to apollo-upload-client

apollo-link-rest

This package allows you to call REST endpoints from Apollo Client. While it does not specifically handle file uploads, it can be used to integrate RESTful file upload endpoints with Apollo Client.

graphql-request

A minimal GraphQL client that supports file uploads via the multipart request specification. It is more lightweight compared to apollo-upload-client and can be used in environments where a full Apollo Client setup is not required.

README

apollo-upload-client

A terminating Apollo Link for Apollo Client that allows FileList, File, Blob or ReactNativeFile instances within query or mutation variables and sends GraphQL multipart requests.

Setup

Install with npm:

npm install apollo-upload-client

Apollo Boost doesn’t allow link customization; if you are using it migrate to a manual Apollo Client setup.

Apollo Client can only have 1 “terminating” Apollo Link that sends the GraphQL requests; if one such as apollo-link-http is already setup, remove it.

Initialize the client with a terminating link using createUploadLink.

Also ensure the GraphQL server implements the GraphQL multipart request spec and that uploads are handled correctly in resolvers.

Usage

Use FileList, File, Blob or ReactNativeFile instances anywhere within query or mutation variables to send a GraphQL multipart request.

See also the example API and client.

FileList

const gql = require('graphql-tag')
const { Mutation } = require('react-apollo')

const UploadFiles = () => (
  <Mutation
    mutation={gql`
      mutation($files: [Upload!]!) {
        uploadFiles(files: $files) {
          success
        }
      }
    `}
  >
    {mutate => (
      <input
        type="file"
        multiple
        required
        onChange={({ target: { validity, files } }) =>
          validity.valid && mutate({ variables: { files } })
        }
      />
    )}
  </Mutation>
)

File

const gql = require('graphql-tag')
const { Mutation } = require('react-apollo')

const UploadFile = () => (
  <Mutation
    mutation={gql`
      mutation($file: Upload!) {
        uploadFile(file: $file) {
          success
        }
      }
    `}
  >
    {mutate => (
      <input
        type="file"
        required
        onChange={({
          target: {
            validity,
            files: [file]
          }
        }) => validity.valid && mutate({ variables: { file } })}
      />
    )}
  </Mutation>
)

Blob

const gql = require('graphql-tag')

// Apollo Client instance.
const client = require('./client')

const file = new Blob(['Foo.'], { type: 'text/plain' })

// Optional, defaults to `blob`.
file.name = 'bar.txt'

client.mutate({
  mutation: gql`
    mutation($file: Upload!) {
      uploadFile(file: $file) {
        success
      }
    }
  `,
  variables: { file }
})

Support

• Node.js v6+
• Browsers > 0.5%, not dead
• React Native

API

Table of contents

• class ReactNativeFile
  • Examples
• function createUploadLink
  • See
  • Examples
• type FetchOptions
  • See
• type ReactNativeFileSubstitute
  • See
  • Examples

class ReactNativeFile

Used to mark a React Native File substitute. It’s too risky to assume all objects with uri, type and name properties are files to extract. Re-exported from extract-files for convenience.

Parameter	Type	Description
file	ReactNativeFileSubstitute	A React Native File substitute.

Examples

A React Native file that can be used in query or mutation variables.

const { ReactNativeFile } = require('apollo-upload-client')

const file = new ReactNativeFile({
  uri: uriFromCameraRoll,
  name: 'a.jpg',
  type: 'image/jpeg'
})

---

function createUploadLink

Creates a terminating Apollo Link capable of file uploads. Options match createHttpLink.

Parameter	Type	Description
options	Object	Options.
options.uri	string? = /graphql	GraphQL endpoint URI.
options.fetch	function?	fetch implementation to use, defaulting to the fetch global.
options.fetchOptions	FetchOptions?	fetch options; overridden by upload requirements.
options.credentials	string?	Overrides options.fetchOptions.credentials.
options.headers	Object?	Merges with and overrides options.fetchOptions.headers.
options.includeExtensions	boolean? = false	Toggles sending extensions fields to the GraphQL server.

Returns: ApolloLink — A terminating Apollo Link capable of file uploads.

See

• GraphQL multipart request spec.
• apollo-link on GitHub.

Examples

A basic Apollo Client setup.

const { ApolloClient } = require('apollo-client')
const { InMemoryCache } = require('apollo-cache-inmemory')
const { createUploadLink } = require('apollo-upload-client')

const client = new ApolloClient({
  cache: new InMemoryCache(),
  link: createUploadLink()
})

---

type FetchOptions

GraphQL request fetch options.

Type: Object

Property	Type	Description
headers	Object	HTTP request headers.
credentials	string?	Authentication credentials mode.

See

• Polyfillable fetch options.

---

type ReactNativeFileSubstitute

A React Native File substitute.

Be aware that inspecting network requests with Chrome dev tools interferes with the React Native FormData implementation, causing network errors.

Type: Object

Property	Type	Description
uri	String	Filesystem path.
name	String?	File name.
type	String?	File content type. Some environments (particularly Android) require a valid MIME type; Expo ImageResult.type is unreliable as it can be just image.

See

• extract-files docs.
• React Native FormData polyfill source.

Examples

A camera roll file.

{
  uri: uriFromCameraRoll,
  name: 'a.jpg',
  type: 'image/jpeg'
}

Changelog

10.0.1

Patch

• Updated dependencies.
• Reduced the size of the published package.json by moving dev tool config to files. This also prevents editor extensions such as Prettier and ESLint from detecting config and attempting to operate when opening package files installed in node_modules.
• Simplified the prepublishOnly script.
• Add tips for React Native gotchas, via #135.
• Updated the package description to mention that the upload link is terminating and clarified in the setup instructions that there can only be 1 terminating Apollo Link, via #147.
• Improve setup instructions for Apollo Boost.