graphql-ws

What is graphql-ws?

The graphql-ws package is a lightweight and fast WebSocket server and client for GraphQL subscriptions, designed to work with the GraphQL JavaScript reference implementation. It allows you to set up a full-duplex communication channel between the client and server to facilitate real-time data exchange using the GraphQL protocol.

What are graphql-ws's main functionalities?

Creating a WebSocket server for GraphQL subscriptions

This code sample demonstrates how to create a WebSocket server that handles GraphQL subscriptions. It uses the `useServer` function from `graphql-ws` to attach the WebSocket server to an existing HTTP server.

const { createServer } = require('http');
const { execute, subscribe } = require('graphql');
const { useServer } = require('graphql-ws/lib/use/ws');
const { schema } = require('./my-graphql-schema');

const server = createServer(function weServeSocketsOnly(_, res) {
  res.writeHead(404);
  res.end();
});

const wsServer = new WebSocket.Server({
  server,
  path: '/graphql',
});

useServer({ schema, execute, subscribe }, wsServer);

server.listen(4000);

Creating a WebSocket client for GraphQL subscriptions

This code sample shows how to create a WebSocket client that can subscribe to GraphQL subscriptions. The `createClient` function from `graphql-ws` is used to establish a connection to the WebSocket server, and the `subscribe` method is used to listen for real-time data updates.

const { createClient } = require('graphql-ws');

const client = createClient({
  url: 'ws://localhost:4000/graphql',
});

client.subscribe(
  {
    query: 'subscription { somethingChanged { id } }',
    variables: {},
  },
  {
    next: data => console.log('data received:', data),
    error: err => console.error('error during subscription:', err),
    complete: () => console.log('subscription completed'),
  }
);

Other packages similar to graphql-ws

subscriptions-transport-ws

This package is another implementation of GraphQL over WebSocket protocol. It is the predecessor of graphql-ws and was developed by the Apollo team. However, it is now deprecated in favor of graphql-ws, which is more lightweight and has a simpler API.

apollo-server

Apollo Server is a community-driven, open-source GraphQL server that works with many Node.js HTTP server frameworks. Apollo Server supports subscriptions with WebSocket and integrates well with the Apollo ecosystem. It is more feature-rich but also heavier compared to graphql-ws, which is focused solely on WebSocket communication.

README

graphql-ws

(Work in progress!)

fork of subscriptions-transport-ws which adds file transfer over websocket.

A GraphQL WebSocket server and client to facilitate GraphQL queries, mutations and subscriptions over WebSocket.

See GitHunt-API and GitHunt-React for an example server and client integration.

Getting Started

Start by installing the package, using NPM.

Using NPM:
$ npm install --save graphql-ws

Note that you need to use this package on both GraphQL client and server.

Server

Starting with the server, create a new simple PubSub instance. We will later use this PubSub to publish and subscribe to data changes.

import { PubSub } from 'graphql-subscriptions';

export const pubsub = new PubSub();

Now, create SubscriptionServer instance, with your GraphQL schema, execute and subscribe (from graphql-js package):

import { createServer } from 'http';
import { SubscriptionServer } from 'graphql-ws';
import { execute, subscribe } from 'graphql';
import { schema } from './my-schema';

const WS_PORT = 5000;

// Create WebSocket listener server
const websocketServer = createServer((request, response) => {
  response.writeHead(404);
  response.end();
});

// Bind it to port and start listening
websocketServer.listen(WS_PORT, () => console.log(
  `Websocket Server is now running on http://localhost:${WS_PORT}`
));

const subscriptionServer = SubscriptionServer.create(
  {
    schema,
    execute,
    subscribe,
  },
  {
    server: websocketServer,
    path: '/graphql',
  },
);

Creating Your Subscriptions

Please refer to graphql-subscriptions documentation for how to create your GraphQL subscriptions, and how to publish data.

Client (browser)

When using this package for client side, you can choose either use HTTP request for Queries and Mutation and use the WebSocket for subscriptions only, or create a full transport that handles all type of GraphQL operations over the socket.

Full WebSocket Transport

To start with a full WebSocket transport, that handles all types of GraphQL operations, import and create an instance of SubscriptionClient.

Then, create your ApolloClient instance and use the SubscriptionsClient instance as network interface:

import { SubscriptionClient } from 'graphql-ws';
import ApolloClient from 'apollo-client';

const GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT = 'ws://localhost:3000/graphql';

const client = new SubscriptionClient(GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT, {
  reconnect: true,
});

const apolloClient = new ApolloClient({
    networkInterface: client,
});

Now, when you want to use subscriptions in client side, use your ApolloClient instance, with subscribe or query subscribeToMore:

apolloClient.subscribe({
  query: gql`
    subscription onNewItem {
        newItemCreated {
            id
        }
    }`,
  variables: {}
}).subscribe({
  next (data) {
    // Notify your application with the new arrived data
  }
});

apolloClient.query({
  query: ITEM_LIST_QUERY,
  variables: {}
}).subscribeToMore({
  document: gql`
    subscription onNewItem {
        newItemCreated {
            id
        }
    }`,
  variables: {},
  updateQuery: (prev, { subscriptionData, variables }) => {
    // Perform updates on previousResult with subscriptionData
    return updatedResult;
  }
});

If you don't use any package/modules loader, you can still use this package, by using unpkg service, and get the client side package from:

https://unpkg.com/graphql-ws@VERSION/browser/client.js

Replace VERSION with the latest version of the package.

Use it with GraphiQL

You can use this package's power with GraphiQL, and subscribe to live-data stream inside GraphiQL.

If you are using the latest version of graphql-server flavors (graphql-server-express, graphql-server-koa, etc...), you already can use it! Make sure to specify subscriptionsEndpoint in GraphiQL configuration, and that's it!

For example, graphql-server-express users need to add the following:

app.use('/graphiql', graphiqlExpress({
  endpointURL: '/graphql',
  subscriptionsEndpoint: `YOUR_SUBSCRIPTION_ENDPOINT_HERE`,
}));

If you are using older version, or another GraphQL server, start by modifying GraphiQL static HTML, and add this package and it's fetcher from CDN:

    <script src="//unpkg.com/graphql-ws@0.1.0/browser/client.js"></script>
    <script src="//unpkg.com/graphiql-ws@0.1.0/browser/client.js"></script>

Then, create SubscriptionClient and define the fetcher:

let subscriptionsClient = new window.SubscriptionsTransportWs.SubscriptionClient('SUBSCRIPTION_WS_URL_HERE', {
  reconnect: true
});
let myCustomFetcher = window.GraphiQLSubscriptionsFetcher.graphQLFetcher(subscriptionsClient, graphQLFetcher);

graphQLFetcher is the default fetcher, and we use it as fallback for non-subscription GraphQL operations.

And replace your GraphiQL creation logic to use the new fetcher:

ReactDOM.render(
  React.createElement(GraphiQL, {
    fetcher: myCustomFetcher, // <-- here
    onEditQuery: onEditQuery,
    onEditVariables: onEditVariables,
    onEditOperationName: onEditOperationName,
    query: ${safeSerialize(queryString)},
    response: ${safeSerialize(resultString)},
    variables: ${safeSerialize(variablesString)},
    operationName: ${safeSerialize(operationName)},
  }),
  document.body
);

API Docs

SubscriptionClient

Constructor(url, options, connectionCallback)

• url: string : url that the client will connect to, starts with ws:// or wss://
• options?: Object : optional, object to modify default client behavior
  • timeout?: number : how long the client should wait in ms for a keep-alive message from the server (default 10000 ms), this parameter is ignored if the server does not send keep-alive messages. This will also be used to calculate the max connection time per connect/reconnect
  • lazy?: boolean : use to set lazy mode - connects only when first subscription created, and delay the socket initialization
  • connectionParams?: Object | Function : object that will be available as first argument of onConnect (in server side), if passed a function - it will call it and send the return value
  • reconnect?: boolean : automatic reconnect in case of connection error
  • reconnectionAttempts?: number : how much reconnect attempts
  • connectionCallback?: (error) => {} : optional, callback that called after the first init message, with the error (if there is one)
• webSocketImpl?: Object - optional, WebSocket implementation. use this when your environment does not have a built-in native WebSocket (for example, with NodeJS client)

Methods

request(options) => Observable<ExecutionResult>: returns observable to execute the operation.

• options: {OperationOptions}
  • query: string : GraphQL subscription
  • variables: Object : GraphQL subscription variables
  • operationName: string : operation name of the subscription
  • context: Object : use to override context for a specific call

unsubscribeAll() => void - unsubscribes from all active subscriptions.

on(eventName, callback, thisContext) => Function

• eventName: string: the name of the event, available events are: connecting, connected, reconnecting, reconnected and disconnected
• callback: Function: function to be called when websocket connects and initialized.
• thisContext: any: this context to use when calling the callback function.
• => Returns an off method to cancel the event subscription.

onConnected(callback, thisContext) => Function - shorthand for .on('connected', ...)

• callback: Function: function to be called when websocket connects and initialized, after ACK message returned from the server
• thisContext: any: this context to use when calling the callback function.
• => Returns an off method to cancel the event subscription.

onReconnected(callback, thisContext) => Function - shorthand for .on('reconnected', ...)

• callback: Function: function to be called when websocket reconnects and initialized, after ACK message returned from the server
• thisContext: any: this context to use when calling the callback function.
• => Returns an off method to cancel the event subscription.

onConnecting(callback, thisContext) => Function - shorthand for .on('connecting', ...)

• callback: Function: function to be called when websocket starts it's connection
• thisContext: any: this context to use when calling the callback function.
• => Returns an off method to cancel the event subscription.

onReconnecting(callback, thisContext) => Function - shorthand for .on('reconnecting', ...)

• callback: Function: function to be called when websocket starts it's reconnection
• thisContext: any: this context to use when calling the callback function.
• => Returns an off method to cancel the event subscription.

onDisconnected(callback, thisContext) => Function - shorthand for .on('disconnected', ...)

• callback: Function: function to be called when websocket disconnected.
• thisContext: any: this context to use when calling the callback function.
• => Returns an off method to cancel the event subscription.

close() => void - closes the WebSocket connection manually, and ignores reconnect logic if it was set to true.

use(middlewares: MiddlewareInterface[]) => SubscriptionClient - adds middleware to modify OperationOptions per each request

• middlewares: MiddlewareInterface[] - Array contains list of middlewares (implemented applyMiddleware method) implementation, the SubscriptionClient will use the middlewares to modify OperationOptions for every operation

status: number : returns the current socket's readyState

SubscriptionServer

Constructor(options, socketOptions)

• options: {ServerOptions}

  • rootValue?: any : Root value to use when executing GraphQL root operations
  • schema?: GraphQLSchema : GraphQL schema object
  • execute?: (schema, document, rootValue, contextValue, variableValues, operationName) => Promise<ExecutionResult> | AsyncIterator<ExecutionResult> : GraphQL execute function, provide the default one from graphql package. Return value of AsyncItrator is also valid since this package also support reactive execute methods.
  • subscribe?: (schema, document, rootValue, contextValue, variableValues, operationName) => Promise<ExecutionResult | AsyncIterator<ExecutionResult>> : GraphQL subscribe function, provide the default one from graphql package.
  • onOperation?: (message: SubscribeMessage, params: SubscriptionOptions, webSocket: WebSocket) : optional method to create custom params that will be used when resolving this operation
  • onOperationComplete?: (webSocket: WebSocket, opId: string) : optional method that called when a GraphQL operation is done (for query and mutation it's immeditaly, and for subscriptions when unsubscribing)
  • onConnect?: (connectionParams: Object, webSocket: WebSocket) : optional method that called when a client connects to the socket, called with the connectionParams from the client, if the return value is an object, its elements will be added to the context. return false or throw an exception to reject the connection. May return a Promise.
  • onDisconnect?: (webSocket: WebSocket) : optional method that called when a client disconnects
  • keepAlive?: number : optional interval in ms to send KEEPALIVE messages to all clients

• socketOptions: {WebSocket.IServerOptions} : options to pass to the WebSocket object (full docs here)

  • server?: HttpServer - existing HTTP server to use (use without host/port)

  • host?: string - server host

  • port?: number - server port

  • path?: string - endpoint path

How it works?

• For GraphQL WebSocket protocol docs, click here
• This package also uses AsyncIterator internally using iterall, for more information click here, or the proposal