Feedback for “Running an Express GraphQL Server”

[mitchelln11]

All I'm getting in the browser is this message. Server technically starts, but I just get the error on the front-end.

{"errors":[{"message":"Missing query"}]}

Dependencies are installed. Followed step by step. Same response from the Express and the ruru server for GraphiQL

[benjie]

It sounds like you need to submit a query; try replacing the query text (the big text box on the left) with {__typename} which is a query valid against every GraphQL schema.

[mitchelln11]

I don't think I follow. Copying this text, getting the "Running a GraphQL API server at http://localhost:4000/graphql" notice in the terminal, opening that link in a browser, and I get the error above.

Code (exactly from the documentation):

var express = require("express")
var { createHandler } = require("graphql-http/lib/use/express")
var { buildSchema } = require("graphql")
 
// Construct a schema, using GraphQL schema language
var schema = buildSchema(`
  type Query {
    hello: String
  }
`)
 
// The root provides a resolver function for each API endpoint
var root = {
  hello() {
    return "Hello world!"
  },
}
 
var app = express()
 
// Create and use the GraphQL handler.
app.all(
  "/graphql",
  createHandler({
    schema: schema,
    rootValue: root,
  })
)
 
// Start the server at port
app.listen(4000)
console.log("Running a GraphQL API server at http://localhost:4000/graphql")

Which part gets replaced? Should I be opening this in another server application like Apollo?

[benjie]

Ah; thank you for expanding! You are now running a GraphQL API at http://localhost:4000/graphql - but this is an API designed to be queried by computer tools (rather than just visiting it in a web browser). You can spin up ruru (a GraphiQL distribution I wrote) to query the API:

npx ruru@beta -SPe http://localhost:4000/graphql

This will give you the GraphiQL IDE which you can then write GraphQL queries in. (A similar instruction that would also work can be seen in the graphql-http README: https://github.com/graphql/graphql-http#serve-graphiql )

[benjie]

Now I come to look at the webpage:

https://graphql.org/graphql-js/running-an-express-graphql-server/

I can see how we can improve the content. You followed the instructions, ran the server, and then expected to be able to do something - this is a reasonable expectation! But to actually use the GraphQL you need a GraphQL client, which the tutorial then goes on to talk about. I'll make an edit to that page to clarify - thanks a lot for the feedback!

[benjie]

Here's a PR to improve the flow in the documentation - thanks again for the feedback @mitchelln11!

#1956