Cursor-based pagination in GraphQL - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is cursor-based pagination?

Cursor-based pagination is a method to fetch data in chunks using a pointer (cursor) to mark the last item fetched, allowing efficient navigation through large datasets.

intermediate

How does cursor-based pagination differ from offset-based pagination?

Cursor-based pagination uses a unique cursor to track position, avoiding issues with data changes during pagination, while offset-based uses row numbers which can cause duplicates or missing items if data changes.

beginner

In GraphQL, what fields are commonly used in cursor-based pagination?

Common fields include edges (list of items), node (each item), cursor (position marker), and pageInfo (info about next/previous pages).

intermediate

Why is cursor-based pagination more reliable for real-time data?

Because it uses stable cursors tied to unique item IDs or timestamps, it prevents skipping or repeating items when data changes between requests.

beginner

What is a typical structure of a GraphQL query using cursor-based pagination?

A query requests first or last items along with an after or before cursor to fetch the next or previous page of data.

What does the cursor represent in cursor-based pagination?

A The size of each page

B A unique pointer to a specific item in the dataset

C The page number requested

D The total number of items in the dataset

The cursor is a unique pointer marking the position of an item, used to fetch the next set of items.

Which GraphQL field typically contains the list of items in cursor-based pagination?

A node

B pageInfo

C cursor

D edges

edges contains the list of items along with their cursors.

Why is cursor-based pagination preferred over offset-based for large datasets?

A It avoids skipping or repeating items when data changes

B It is easier to implement

C It uses less memory

D It requires no cursors

Cursor-based pagination tracks position precisely, preventing errors caused by data changes.

In a GraphQL cursor-based pagination query, which argument fetches items after a specific cursor?

A after

B last

C before

D first

The after argument fetches items after the given cursor.

What information does the pageInfo field provide?

A The total count of items

B The list of all cursors

C Whether there are more pages before or after the current page

D The size of each page

pageInfo tells if more pages exist before or after the current page.

Explain how cursor-based pagination works in GraphQL and why it is useful.

Think about how you would flip through pages in a book using a bookmark.

Describe the difference between cursor-based and offset-based pagination and when to prefer cursor-based.

Consider what happens if new items are added while you are paging through a list.