Is it possible to extend graphql response other than just data for pagination? - express

Question

In GraphQL response normally looks like followings.
{
"data": [{
"id": 1,
"username": "Jon Snow",
"email": "crow#northofthew.all",
"age": 20
}, {
"id": 2,
"username": "Tyrion Lannister",
"email": "drunk#i.mp",
"age": 34
}, {
"id": 3,
"username": "Sansa Stark",
"email": "redhead#why.me",
"age": 17
}]
}
Is it possible to add meta data to your response such as pagination like this.
{
"pagination": {
"total": 14,
"count": 230,
},
"data": [{
"id": 1,
"username": "Jon Snow",
"email": "crow#northofthew.all",
"age": 20
}, {
"id": 2,
"username": "Tyrion Lannister",
"email": "drunk#i.mp",
"age": 34
}]
}
I'm using express-graphql and currently put those pagination to custom response header, which is fine but it can be better. Since GraphQL response is already wrapped with "data", it is not very strange to add more "data" to its response.

Answer 1

Reenforcing what #CommonsWare already stated, according to the specification that would a be an invalid GraphQL response. Regarding pagination, Relay has its own pagination approach called connections, but indeed, several other approaches are possible and even more suitable in some situtations (connections aren't a silver bullet).
I want to augment what was already said by adding that the hierarchical nature of GraphQL incites related data to be at the same level. An example is worth a thousands words, so here it goes:
query Q {
pagination_info { # what is this info related to? completely unclear
total
count
}
user {
friends {
id
}
}
}
Instead...
query Q {
user {
friends {
pagination_info { # fairly obvious that this is related to friends
total
count
}
friend {
id
}
}
}
}