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Software Engineering Daily

The End of GraphQL with Matt Bessey

Oct 16, 2024
45:18
Snipd AI
Matt Bessey, a Principal Engineer and Software Architect, shares his frustrations with GraphQL after six years of experience. He discusses the complexities of GraphQL, including its security vulnerabilities and performance issues compared to traditional REST APIs. The conversation highlights the nuances of authorization in GraphQL and the risks associated with query parsing. Bessey also explores the future of API design, advocating for a user-centric approach and critiquing the trend towards superficial programming education.
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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • GraphQL, despite its ability to minimize over-fetching and under-fetching, introduces significant incidental complexity and security challenges for backend engineers.
  • The discussion highlights OpenAPI 3.0+ as a favorable alternative to GraphQL, providing a simpler, more manageable structure for API design and security.

Deep dives

Introduction to GraphQL and Its Origin

GraphQL is an innovative query language for APIs created by Facebook to minimize issues of overfetching and underfetching common with traditional REST APIs. It allows clients to request exactly the information they need from a single endpoint, thereby enhancing efficiency in data retrieval. However, the technology comes with its own complexities and challenges for backend developers, particularly regarding performance and security. Matt Bessie, a principal engineer, and software architect, articulates these frustrations in his viral blog post that critiques GraphQL and its practical limitations based on his six years of experience.

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