Improving the Development Experience with GraphQL
One of GraphQL's key benefits over REST is the ways that improves the developer experience. This post explores the key benefits GraphQL offers over REST in terms of developer experience.
How To Generate QR Codes with GraphQL Mutations Using Google Sheets
Learn how to use StepZen and GraphQL mutations to generate QR Codes with Google Sheets.
Turn a WordPress Blog into a Mobile App Using StepZen and React Native
See how freelance developer, David Griffin, turned a WordPress blog with Cloudinary assets into a mobile app using StepZen and React Native.
Why Headless CMS Needs Page Management
As we look ahead to a joint Agility CMS and StepZen webinar to discuss how you can power up your Jamstack sites with GraphQL APIs and Headless CMS, we are thrilled to welcome Joel Varty to the StepZen blog to share his perspective on page management in Headless CMSs.
Exploring GraphQL Directives in the Wild
GraphQL directives are one of GraphQL's most powerful features, enabling custom capabilities that are not yet supported by the GraphQL spec, and offering a glimpse of what GraphQL may look like in the future.
Make A React App With a GraphQL API in One Command
Make a React app with a GraphQL API in a single command using npx-create-stepzen-app
How Different Are REST and GraphQL After All?
The usual debate is REST versus GraphQL, but are the two really that different after all? Let's look at the similarities and differences to understand which is best for your project.
7 Key Considerations for Building & Running Your Frontend APIs
Frontend developers are asked to build engaging online experiences. They need data from the backends. They must perform actions against backends. GraphQL APIs are fast becoming the language of modern app development. But who builds those APIs? Are they built quickly or are frontend developers left waiting? Who runs and manages the APIs?
How to Set Up a GraphQL Endpoint on a Database
To build today's web apps, you likely need data from a database. At the same time, GraphQL is playing an increasingly important role in modernizing data access to accelerate web development. See how your GraphQL view of your data can match the implementation - a set of database tables and joins.
Build the RedwoodJS Example Todo App with Airtable as Backend
The RedwoodJS Example Todo is one of two canonical RedwoodJS applications, each of which use Prisma Client to connect to a PostgreSQL database. However, we can easily swap out Prisma and connect to another database. This article describes another option - how to use StepZen to swap in Airtable for the database in the Example Todo app.
A Visual Guide to GraphiQL and GraphQL Voyager
Walk through how to use two popular GraphQL clients, GraphiQL and GraphQL Voyager, via screenshots to explore their features and usage.
Deploy a StepZen GraphQL API in Your Netlify Build
Using the StepZen Netlify build plugin, the deployment of a single GraphQL endpoint, built on StepZen, is simple and seamless, and happens within your Netlify build.
Building Fullstack eCommerce Apps with RedwoodJS, Shopify, and StepZen
Build a site that pulls data from the Shopify API using StepZen and connects it to Redwood's API side which is auto-configured with a GraphQL handler that can be deployed with serverless functions enabling secure API routes.
What You Need to Know About GraphQL Directives
GraphQL directives are a powerful aspect of the GraphQL spec that you may not even be aware of. They provide extensibility to to a GraphQL API. This post looks at what GraphQL directives are, how they are used and some examples of directives in use.
GraphQL Hackathon: It's a Wrap
Along with the mintbean.io team, we wrapped a GraphQL:Learn 'n Hack Hackathon last week. Developers had a blast building with GraphQL and we loved working with everybody. Here are some of the projects that developers built.
How to Build a GraphQL API Connected to A MySQL Database Using StepZen
Here, we give you an in-depth look at how you can easily use StepZen to connect your MySQL database to a GraphQL API.
Building a Jamstack Blog with Next.js, WordPress, and Cloudinary
This example showcases Next.js ability to statically generate blog post by querying a GraphQL API built with StepZen that returns blog posts from WordPress and images from Cloudinary.
Turning a REST API into GraphQL Using StepZen
A step-by-step guide demonstrating how to build a GraphQL API that pulls from multiple REST endpoints using StepZen.
How To Condense Your GraphQL Queries With the @materializer Directive
Learn how to use StepZen’s @materializer directive to reduce the amount of code you have to write when you’re connecting your GraphQL API to a MySQL database.
Realizing the Potential of the API in Jamstack
APIs are a powerful way to fetch and combine data during static and dynamic builds. We believe that the potential of APIs in Jamstack applications is fully realized when APIs are easy to build and run and help developers seamlessly harmonize multiple data sources.
Creating a Developer Portfolio using Next.js, GraphQL, DEV and GitHub
Create a developer portfolio featuring content pulled from your DEV.to blog posts and GitHub profile and projects using Next.js and StepZen.
API Templates: How to Build a GraphQL API in 3 Easy Steps
A new library of API template schemas make it easy for developers to build a unified GraphQL API starting from a template. Save weeks of development time! No need to build a GraphQL server, understand resolvers, GraphQL stitching etc.
How to use Apollo Client to Connect a React Frontend to a GraphQL API
How to build a React frontend from scratch and query a GraphQL API with Apollo Client
Key Considerations for Hosting Your GraphQL API
What does a developer need to think through when deciding whether to build, own, and operate a GraphQL API service?
Learn To Love Your Jamstack BFF
Let's explore the BFF pattern, how it applies to Jamstack applications and how to make it easier to implement.
How to Secure API Routes for Jamstack Sites
Securing API routes for Jamstack sites is important. Here's one way to do it.
Exploring JavaScript Client Libraries for GraphQL
Exploring three popular GraphQL JavaScript client libraries that you can use to connect to a GraphQL API in the browser or in Node.js.
How to Connect Your GraphQL API with any REST Backend
We've added new capabilities that make it easy to connect your GraphQL endpoint with any REST data source, using the @rest directive.
An Improved Getting Started Experience
We've added two new capabilities that make it even easier to get started with StepZen — create-stepzen-app and stepzen start. Let's see how they work.
GraphQL and the Jamstack
A look at the intertwined evolution of the Jamstack and GraphQL and how popular Jamstack tools are built upon a GraphQL foundation.
Building Your First GraphQL API Using StepZen
A step-by-step guide to building a custom GraphQL API using StepZen that connects to a real MySQL backend.
Consuming GraphQL in Plain JavaScript
A GraphQL query is just a standard HTTP request, no special libraries needed. Let's look at how to create one in JavaScript and Node.js.
An Instant GraphQL API Using Google Sheets
Wouldn't it be great if it were as easy to create a GraphQL API from a Google Sheet as it is to share a Google Sheet with someone?
How to Write GraphQL Queries
GraphQL queries are what allow GraphQL to be efficient in how it gets data, by allowing you to express only what you need but also exactly everything you need. In this post, we'll see how.
Why StepZen?
StepZen's CEO shares what inspired us to create StepZen and the complex problems we are working to solve for developers.
Why Build StepZen as a Service?
Two of StepZen's founders explore the benefits that made them decide to build StepZen using a Software as a Service (SaaS) model rather than a container model.
Why GraphQL?
GraphQL is a relatively new technology but it offers enormous benefits over the traditional RESTful solutions for frontend and backend developers.