Creating SDL / GraphQL without model in prisma?

mfosker · March 25, 2023, 8:05am

I’m sure I’ve missed something in the docs, but have not been able to work out how to create a new SDL file to return some information that is not specifically about a model from the Prisma schema.

I’ve worked around it for now by creating a new type and query in an existing SDL, but would love to know what I have missed.

If context helps, I’ve a schema that defines various things about equipment hire, and want to create an endpoint that will summarise total revenues by day/week/month

I want to be able query graphQL for something like totalsForDate
I tried generating a SessionTotals SDL, but the cli complains there is no model for that in the schema.
So I tried manually creating an SDL with a type and a query, but it didn’t get added to graphQL types (I tried regenerating them with rw g types as well)

What did I miss? Thanks

EverydayTinkerer · March 25, 2023, 8:59am

Hey @mfosker

You can do this without using the generator tool by just creating a new file ./graphql folder.
I am not sure if there is a generator command for making one automatically that is not attached to a model that exists unfortunately. Although this is something I would like as well.

I am also new to Redwood so someone may answer with a better answer

mfosker · March 25, 2023, 11:06am

Thanks, I tried that, I must have missed something when I did it though. This is also how it is suggested to approach calling a 3rd party API here: Using a Third Party API | RedwoodJS Docs
I’ll have another look later.
On reflection I decided that having it as part of the existing SDL is not that bad anyway, since it does use the same models

dthyresson · March 25, 2023, 11:35am

Hi @mfosker there has been some discussion about how to support just an sdl generator but besides simple adding an empty file with the gql statement there’s no real way of knowing what to put in that file. Hence the cure t way is to create the file yourself.

See also [RFC]: Breaking down the sdl and service generation script into parts · Issue #5983 · redwoodjs/redwood · GitHub

And

github.com/redwoodjs/redwood

RFC on using API specs to drive scaffolding

opened 03:06PM - 17 May 22 UTC

davidkhardwick

topic/generators-&-scaffolds

# Request for scaffolding based on API specs instead of DB schema (Prism) Req…uest for comment on generating scaffolding based on API specs instead of DB schema # Problem: Users of RedwoodJS love the ‘scaffold’ capability. Such a Great way to get a significant amount of functionality with very little work. Scaffold currently needs to be driven by the Prisma schema, and modern projects also need to work with existing or third party APIs, not just databases. Heck, some modern applications have to work with SaaS databases that requiring APIs only. Here's one example. That the 'contact us' example in the Redwood Tutorial. We could send those entries straight to Sendgrid APIs to get emailed the Contact Us entries rather than storing in them in the database. Another Example: What if the Front-end and backend teams agreed on an API interface, but they are moving at different speeds from one another? How could we use that API contract as the spec instead of Prism DB schema? It is important to note that when working with a database we can assume CRUD actions, so if we remove a Prism schema from the equation, what are we generating? Could API schema defintions answer what we needed to generate? # RFC Solution: Provide another option for building the scaffolding from an API Spec, not just a DB schema. A database naturally assumes CRUD, but if we drive the scaffolding off an open API spec ( see https://redux-toolkit.js.org/rtk-query/usage/code-generation ) then not only can we understand the schema (entities/types) but we can also understand the 'actions' (e.g., verbs) that are needed for scaffolding. ## For generating SDL from DB schema * `yarn rw generate sdl fromDB Contacts` ## For generating SDL from API Spec * `yarn rw generate sdl fromOAS src/services/contracts/SendgridOAS.json` ## Stories from the field I ran into a similar problem when I was working on the Redwood events discord bot. I didn’t really want a database table because I was interacting directly with a 3rd party service but you can’t generate an sdl without a model. For instance when running yarn rw g sdl discord it errors and says no model with name discord. In the simplest scenario, it could give you the sdl file and the services files. Then after you generate those you could fill out the sdl and run the scaffold against the sdl to interact directly with 3rd party apis. ### For generating SDL from no schema or contracts * `yarn rw generate sdl fromName Contacts` # Workaround If you created a Prisma model which you Scaffolded, could you then modify some things (including reverting the Prisma migration and model) to used the Scaffold with the 3rd party API? Or you could do this by creating scaffolding in a new, empty rwjs project and then just copy/pasting those pieces that are useful in my sdl driven version. FAQ * Since scaffolds typically have CRUD functionality do you still plan to generate a service that the db Prisma client to insert, update and fetch data? And if so, then what model would these use? Or, would they simple stub out empty services to define? * ` Answer: Look to the API specs to define the actions to generate..CRUD is logical set of actions for a database. API spec can better define intended actions for an API `

As for why your file didn’t work, try to regenerate types “yarn rw g types”.

If there is some syntax error, you should see it when it generates.