Architect’s dilemma: When to choose GraphQL over REST and why?

The article discusses when to choose GraphQL over REST and why. It emphasizes that understanding the trade-offs is crucial in making this decision. The first use case mentioned is the client-side N+1 problem, where multiple HTTP calls are made from the client to the server. In such cases, GraphQL can be an instant win as it allows for querying deeply nested data and fetching multiple independent entities in a single HTTP request. The second use case is the server-side N+1 problem or API integration, where data needs to be fetched from multiple sources on the backend. In this scenario, GraphQL can make queries more efficient by using Dataloader patterns/batching and implementing a query planner for high performance. Additionally, GraphQL offers benefits such as flexible APIs with consistency, self-documentation, and predictability due to its schema and type system. In summary, GraphQL is often the better choice over REST for solving client-side N+1 problems and can be advantageous in server-side scenarios depending on the backend implementation and use of a query planner.