How Modern APIs Are Evolving from REST API's to GraphQL

APIs are something we all use while building applications, and REST is usually the first approach most of us learn. While working with REST APIs, I’ve often run into situations where I either get more data than needed or have to make multiple API calls just to build a single feature.

In this session, I’ll talk about how GraphQL can help solve some of these problems. I’ll explain the core idea in a simple way and show how it allows clients to request only the data they actually need.

I’ll also walk through a small backend example where I use GraphQL with Apollo Server to fetch related data like users, routines, and activities in a single query. Along with that, I’ll briefly explain how a GraphQL request flows internally from schema to resolver to database.

Towards the end, I’ll compare REST and GraphQL based on real use cases and share when I think each approach works best.

This session is based on my learning and hands-on experience, and is aimed at making these concepts easy to understand for both students and developers.

- Understand limitations of REST APIs in modern applications

- Learn how GraphQL enables flexible data fetching

- See a real backend example using GraphQL and Apollo Server

- Understand internal flow of a GraphQL request

- Know when to use GraphQL vs REST in real-world scenarios