What is urql?
urql is a highly customizable and versatile GraphQL client for React and other frameworks. It provides a set of tools to handle GraphQL queries, mutations, and subscriptions with ease, offering a flexible and extensible API.
What are urql's main functionalities?
GraphQL Queries
This feature allows you to perform GraphQL queries to fetch data from a GraphQL server. The `useQuery` hook is used to execute the query and manage the loading, error, and data states.
const { useQuery } = require('urql');
const query = `
query {
todos {
id
text
completed
}
}
`;
function Todos() {
const [result] = useQuery({ query });
const { data, fetching, error } = result;
if (fetching) return <p>Loading...</p>;
if (error) return <p>Oh no... {error.message}</p>;
return (
<ul>
{data.todos.map(todo => (
<li key={todo.id}>{todo.text}</li>
))}
</ul>
);
}
GraphQL Mutations
This feature allows you to perform GraphQL mutations to modify data on the server. The `useMutation` hook is used to execute the mutation and handle the result.
const { useMutation } = require('urql');
const mutation = `
mutation($text: String!) {
addTodo(text: $text) {
id
text
completed
}
}
`;
function AddTodo() {
const [result, executeMutation] = useMutation(mutation);
const addTodo = async (text) => {
await executeMutation({ text });
};
return (
<button onClick={() => addTodo('New Todo')}>Add Todo</button>
);
}
GraphQL Subscriptions
This feature allows you to subscribe to real-time updates from a GraphQL server. The `useSubscription` hook is used to handle the subscription and manage the incoming data.
const { useSubscription } = require('urql');
const subscription = `
subscription {
newTodo {
id
text
completed
}
}
`;
function NewTodos() {
const [result] = useSubscription({ query: subscription });
const { data, error } = result;
if (error) return <p>Oh no... {error.message}</p>;
return (
<ul>
{data && data.newTodo && (
<li key={data.newTodo.id}>{data.newTodo.text}</li>
)}
</ul>
);
}
Other packages similar to urql
apollo-client
Apollo Client is a comprehensive state management library for JavaScript that enables you to manage both local and remote data with GraphQL. It offers a robust set of features including caching, error handling, and more. Compared to urql, Apollo Client is more feature-rich and has a larger community, but it can be more complex to set up and use.
relay-runtime
Relay is a JavaScript framework for building data-driven React applications powered by GraphQL. It emphasizes performance and scalability, making it suitable for large applications. Relay is more opinionated and requires a specific setup, which can be more challenging for beginners compared to urql.
graphql-request
graphql-request is a minimal GraphQL client for Node and browsers. It is lightweight and easy to use, making it a good choice for simple applications or scripts. Unlike urql, it does not provide React hooks or built-in state management, so it requires more manual handling of data fetching and state.