GraphQL vs REST comparison - Quick Revision & Key Differences

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the main difference between GraphQL and REST in how they fetch data?

GraphQL allows clients to request exactly the data they need in a single query, while REST typically requires multiple endpoints and requests to fetch related data.

intermediate

How does GraphQL handle versioning compared to REST?

GraphQL avoids versioning by evolving the schema and allowing clients to request only the fields they want, whereas REST often uses versioned endpoints to manage changes.

intermediate

What is a key advantage of REST's use of HTTP methods over GraphQL?

REST uses standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) which are well understood and supported by tools and infrastructure, making it simple to cache and secure.

beginner

Why might GraphQL reduce over-fetching and under-fetching of data?

Because clients specify exactly which fields they want in a query, GraphQL avoids sending too much or too little data compared to REST endpoints that return fixed data structures.

advanced

What is a common challenge when using GraphQL compared to REST?

GraphQL can be more complex to set up and optimize, especially for caching and error handling, while REST benefits from simpler, well-known patterns.

Which of the following best describes how GraphQL queries work?

A Clients receive all data from the server regardless of need

B Clients must call multiple endpoints to get related data

C Clients use HTTP methods to fetch data

D Clients specify exactly what data they want in a single request

GraphQL lets clients request exactly the data they want in one query.

How does REST typically handle API versioning?

A By using versioned endpoints like /v1/, /v2/

B By evolving the schema without versions

C By letting clients choose fields dynamically

D By using GraphQL queries

REST often uses versioned URLs to manage changes in the API.

What is a benefit of REST's use of HTTP methods?

A They allow clients to specify fields dynamically

B They simplify caching and security with standard methods

C They reduce the number of requests needed

D They eliminate the need for endpoints

Standard HTTP methods help with caching and security in REST.

Why might GraphQL reduce over-fetching of data?

A Because clients specify exactly which fields they want

B Because it caches all responses

C Because it uses multiple endpoints

D Because it returns all data by default

GraphQL queries specify exactly the needed fields, avoiding extra data.

What is a common challenge when adopting GraphQL?

A It has no support for querying data

B It is simpler than REST to implement

C It can be complex to optimize caching and error handling

D It requires multiple endpoints for each resource

GraphQL can be complex to set up caching and error handling compared to REST.

Explain the main differences between GraphQL and REST in how they handle data fetching and versioning.

Think about how clients ask for data and how APIs change over time.

Describe one advantage and one challenge of using GraphQL compared to REST.

Consider what makes GraphQL flexible but also what makes it harder to manage.