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GraphQL vs REST APIs
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GraphQL vs REST are both technologies used for building APIs that allow applications to communicate with each other over the web. However, they have some significant differences in terms of how they work and what they offer. Here are some key differences between GraphQL vs REST:
- Data Fetching:
REST APIs require multiple endpoints for fetching data, whereas GraphQL APIs use a single endpoint to fetch all the data needed for a particular query. This means that with REST, the client has to make multiple requests to different endpoints to retrieve all the data they need, while with GraphQL, they can request all the data they need in a single request.
- Query Flexibility:
GraphQL allows the client to specify exactly what data they need and how it should be structured in the response. This is in contrast to REST, where the server decides what data to send in the response. With GraphQL, clients can request only the data they need, which can result in smaller response sizes and faster load times.
- Caching:
REST APIs allow for caching responses at the endpoint level, meaning that responses can be stored in a cache for faster retrieval in the future. GraphQL APIs, on the other hand, allow for caching at the field level, meaning that individual fields can be cached, and only those fields that have changed since the last request need to be retrieved.