Express + GraphqlTs

[Bennit]

Hi Nicolas

First of all: nice work on the library! I prefer this approach over the approach of having to write in the graphql schema language, using a tool to generate typescript interfaces and finally committing these generated interfaces into the git project.

To get it to work with express, and to be able to use @types/graphql, I had to install graphql as a separate dependency. However if you do this, then graphql-express complains about the schema generated by graphqlTs.getSchema() not being a 'proper' GraphQLSchema. In package.json, via postinstall, I removed the nested version of graphql from node_modules/graphql-ts, making sure that graphql-ts uses the constructor from the graphql dependency I explicitly installed. After this, everything seems to work fine so perhaps a suggestion is to move the dependency to devDependencies in your project and ask for manual installation or to keep the graphql dependency more up to date.

Kind regards Ben

[Bennit]

FYI, here is an example of how to use graphql-ts in the context of express

package

{
  "name": "example-express-graphql-ts",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "",
  "main": "dist/index.js",
  "scripts": {
    "start": "ts-node src/index.ts",
    "postinstall": "rm -r node_modules/graphql-ts/node_modules/graphql"
  },
  "author": "Ben Corne",
  "private": true,
  "devDependencies": {
    "@types/express": "^4.0.39",
    "@types/express-graphql": "0.0.35",
    "@types/graphql": "^0.11.6",
    "@types/node": "^8.0.51",
    "ts-node": "^3.3.0",
    "typescript": "^2.6.1"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "express": "^4.16.2",
    "express-graphql": "^0.6.11",
    "graphql": "^0.11.7",
    "graphql-ts": "^0.1.5",
  }
}

tsconfig.json

{
    "compilerOptions": {
        "module": "commonjs",
        "noImplicitAny": true,
        "removeComments": true,
        "preserveConstEnums": true,
        "sourceMap": true,
        "target": "es6",
        "emitDecoratorMetadata": true,
        "experimentalDecorators": true,
        "lib": ["es7"]
    },
    "include": [
        "src/**/*.ts"
    ]
}

src/index.ts

import * as express from 'express';
import { Application } from 'express';
import * as graphqlHTTP from 'express-graphql';

import { field, objectType, graphqlTs } from 'graphql-ts';
import { GraphQLSchema } from 'graphql';

const host = '0.0.0.0';
const port = 3000;

@objectType
class Root {
    @field
    hello(): string {
        return "Hello, World!";
    }
}

async function listen (app: Application, host: string, port: number) {
    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
        app
            .listen(port, host, () => resolve())
            .on('error', (err) => reject(err));
    });
}

async function main () {
    graphqlTs.init(new Root());
    const schema: GraphQLSchema = graphqlTs.getSchema();

    const app = express();
    
    app.use('/', graphqlHTTP({
        schema: schema,
        graphiql: true
    }));

    await listen(app, host, port);
    console.log(`graphql server listening on http://${host}:${port}`);
}

main()
.then(() => console.log('done'))
.catch((err) => console.error('error', err));

[nicolasgere]

Hello thanks for the feedback, you re right i should keep graphql dependency up to date. I will move it to dev dependencies. Or may be you can do it, all pr are welcome!

[iamlothian]

A peer dependency is probably what you want with a minimum supported version specified.

[MichalLytek]

According to the question - @types/graphql can't be a devDependency or peerDependency as graphql-ts rely on some internal operations. It should be constantly updated along with graphql-js dependency.

BTW, I would recommend you using graphql-yoga instead of pure express middleware where you have to take care of everything. You can see how simple you can start a server with cors, subscriptions and others: https://github.com/19majkel94/type-graphql/blob/master/examples/simple-subscriptions/index.ts