How to load a .graphql file using `apollo-server`?

Question

I am currently loading the GraphQL schema using a separate .graphql file, but it is encapsulated within strings:

schema.graphql

const schema = `
  type CourseType {
    _id: String!
    name: String!
  }

  type Query {
    courseType(_id: String): CourseType
    courseTypes: [CourseType]!
  }
`

module.exports = schema

Then using it for the apollo-server:

index.js

const { ApolloServer, makeExecutableSchema } = require('apollo-server')
const typeDefs = require('./schema.graphql')

const resolvers = { ... }

const schema = makeExecutableSchema({
  typeDefs: typeDefs,
  resolvers
})

const server = new ApolloServer({
  schema: schema
})

server.listen().then(({ url }) => {
  console.log(`Server ready at ${url}.`)
})

Is there any way to simply load a .graphql that looks as such?
schema.graphql

type CourseType {
  _id: String!
  name: String!
}

type Query {
  courseType(_id: String): CourseType
  courseTypes: [CourseType]!
}

Then it would be parsed in the index.js? I noticed that graphql-yoga supports this, but was wondering if apollo-server does. I cannot find it anywhere in the docs. I can’t get fs.readFile to work either.

github.com/apollographql/graphql-tag#importing-graphql-files — Jun 9, 2020 at 21:11

Loren 14k8 gold badges48 silver badges79 bronze badges · Accepted Answer · 2022-04-04 04:16:51Z

If you define your type definitions inside a .graphql file, you can read it in one of several ways:

1.) Read the file yourself:

const { readFileSync } = require('fs')

// we must convert the file Buffer to a UTF-8 string
const typeDefs = readFileSync(require.resolve('./type-defs.graphql')).toString('utf-8')

2.) Utilize a library like graphql-tools to do it for you:

const { loadDocuments } = require('@graphql-tools/load');
const { GraphQLFileLoader } = require('@graphql-tools/graphql-file-loader');

// this can also be a glob pattern to match multiple files!
const typeDefs = await loadDocuments('./type-defs.graphql', { 
    file, 
    loaders: [
        new GraphQLFileLoader()
    ]
})

3.) Use a babel plugin or a webpack loader

import typeDefs from './type-defs.graphql'

This is amazing! No way there's an equivalent GraphQLFileLoader method from apollo-server? — Jun 9, 2020 at 21:38
It should be noted that readFileSync only returns a string if you specify an encoding, eg: const typeDefs = readFileSync('./schema.graphql', 'utf-8'). If you do not include an encoding, it returns as a Buffer which ApolloServer's constructor does not understand. — Dec 20, 2020 at 5:24
thank you for noting about 'utf-8' in readFileSync, I would have missed that — Nov 9, 2021 at 22:19
@DanielRearden I am getting this error when loading a subgraph schema in a federated graph ts Unknown directive "@key". Cannot extend type "Membership" because it is not defined. Unknown directive "@key". Unknown directive "@external". Unknown type "Query". — Jan 11, 2022 at 12:32

AviusAvius 5,5935 gold badges20 silver badges42 bronze badges · Accepted Answer · 2020-06-10 12:40:09Z

Back in the day I wrote a teeny-tiny .graphql loader myself. It is very small, very simple, and the only thing you have to do is import it before you try to import any .graphql files. I have used it ever since even though I am sure that there are some 3rd party loaders available. Here’s the code:

// graphql-loader.js

const oldJSHook = require.extensions[".js"];

const loader = (module, filename) => {
  const oldJSCompile = module._compile;
  module._compile = function (code, file) {
    code = `module.exports = `r${code}`;`;
    module._compile = oldJSCompile;
    module._compile(code, file);
  };
  oldJSHook(module, filename);
};

require.extensions[".graphql"] = loader;
require.extensions[".gql"] = loader;

And then in your app:

// index.js

import "./graphql-loader"; // (or require("./graphql-loader") if you prefer)

That’s it, you can then import typeDefs from "./type-defs.graphql" wherever you want.

The loader works by wrapping the text in your .graphql file inside a template string and compiling it as a simple JS module:

module.exports = ` ...your gql schema... `;

Nzaki CodesNzaki Codes 113 bronze badges · Accepted Answer · 2020-12-10 05:56:13Z

This worked for me:

const { gql } = require('apollo-server');
const fs = require('fs');
const path = require('path');

//function that imports .graphql files
const importGraphQL = (file) =>{
  return fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, file),"utf-8");
}

const gqlWrapper = (...files)=>{
  return gql`${files}`;
}


const enums = importGraphQL('./enums.graphql');
const schema = importGraphQL('./schema.graphql');

module.exports = gqlWrapper(enums,schema);

Sam SverkoSam Sverko 1,4804 gold badges15 silver badges32 bronze badges · Accepted Answer · 2020-06-09 20:59:59Z

Figured it out using fs (thanks to Tal Z):

index.js

const fs = require('fs')
const mongoUtil = require('./mongoUtil')
const { ApolloServer, makeExecutableSchema } = require('apollo-server')

function readContent (file, callback) {
  fs.readFile(file, 'utf8', (err, content) => {
    if (err) return callback(err)
    callback(null, content)
  })
}

mongoUtil.connectToServer((error) => {
  if (error) {
    console.error('Error connecting to MongoDB.', error.stack)
    process.exit(1)
  }

  console.log('Connected to database.')

  const Query = require('./resolvers/Query')

  const resolvers = {
    Query
  }

  readContent('./schema.graphql', (error, content) => {
    if (error) throw error

    const schema = makeExecutableSchema({
      typeDefs: content,
      resolvers
    })

    const server = new ApolloServer({
      schema: schema
    })

    server.listen().then(({ url }) => {
      console.log(`Server ready at ${url}.`)
    })
  })
})

schema.graphql

type CourseType {
  _id: String!
  name: String!
}

type Query {
  courseType(_id: String): CourseType
  courseTypes: [CourseType]!
}

Dom VinyardDom Vinyard 2,0381 gold badge23 silver badges36 bronze badges · Accepted Answer · 2022-07-23 16:38:14Z

I use this helper:

import { readFileSync } from "fs";
const requireGQL = (file) =>
  gql`${readFileSync(require.resolve(file)).toString("utf-8")}`;

Throw that at the top of your file and you can just:

const client = new ApolloClient({ uri: 'https://myendpoint.com/graphql' });
const { data } = await client.query({ query: requireGQL("./myquery.gql") });

keithfrazier98keithfrazier98 358 bronze badges · Accepted Answer · 2023-10-04 03:29:56Z

For anyone who is looking for the Apollo documentation for this question here it is: https://www.apollographql.com/docs/apollo-server/workflow/generate-types

It describes using readFileSync like many answers here, but I was having trouble finding where they actually describe this method. Here’s the snippet as well:

// ...other imports

import { readFileSync } from 'fs';


// Note: this uses a path relative to the project's

// root directory, which is the current working directory

// if the server is executed using `npm run`.

const typeDefs = readFileSync('./schema.graphql', { encoding: 'utf-8' });


const server = new ApolloServer<MyContext>({

  typeDefs,

  resolvers,

});


// ... start our server

How to load a .graphql file using `apollo-server`?