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Experimental GraphQL API?

dgrobani

While reviewing our Feature Options today, I was excited to notice for the first time one called "GraphQL API." It's marked beta and described as "EXPERIMENTAL GraphQL API."

I know about GraphQL but couldn't find any info at all on its use in Canvas. Has anyone heard anything about this? Thanks!

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nardell

Thanks for getting would out that Instructure may be taking steps toward supporting a GraphQL api. I had heard about GraphQL in a talk by David Nolan, and I recognized that it could be a benefit for some of the complex queries we need to do that span over multiple endpoints. Like you I would like to find out more about how Canvas is implementing it.

MIke

phanley

Funny coincidence - I just asked our CSR about that last week - I'll update if she's able to get any info.

phanley

BTW, you can get some clues regarding how they're using graphql here: Search · org:instructure graphql · GitHub

ColinMurtaugh

Hey Daniel!

I'm also very interested in the GraphQL API -- I've seen a bunch of related GitHub commits and I've been meaning to make some time to experiment with it. I'm expecting to have to read some source code to figure out how to use it 🙂

BTW -- we did learn that there's some (fairly edge-case) bug that causes problems rendering student context cards in unpublished courses and/or with inactive students when the GraphQL feature flag is turned on. It seems that Instructure engineering is aware of it, and I imagine it'll be fixed soon, but we've disabled that flag in production for now.

If I do get it working, I'll share my notes here!

--Colin

phanley

If anyone noticed that the ability to turn it on disappeared from their beta instance, it looks like it's been turned on for everyone.... and that it'll be in production possibly soon

enable graphql feature flag · instructure/canvas-lms@c35e13f · GitHub

Test plan:   * make sure graphql is turned on for accounts that previously had     graphql enabled and then disabled   * make sure graphql can't be turned off
 release/2018-04-21.01…

Boekenoogen

I am glad someone finally asked that question. I have see it a few times and never really followed up on it.

Robert

Should be visible in production

/graphiql

not the i

you must be authenticated

the docs apparently have an issue that will be updated in a couple of release cycles

https://github.com/instructure/canvas-lms/blob/stable/schema.graphql

julian_ebeli

I spoke to someone at CanvasCon in Sydney about graphql.

The impetus is the mobile app.

Once it is functional it will/may be merged into the canvas codebase.

unknown

Hello,

am exploring GraphQL for retrieving students data in New Analytics feature and when I inspect XHR request in the browser I see Query (ChartQuery) as below but Canvas production URL (e.g. your-institution.instructure.com/graphiql) doesn't have studentInCourseConnection node .

Error:

Screenshot 2021-12-03 135449.png

please suggest if am missing something here.

Query:

query ChartQuery($contextId: String!, $tcGuid: String!, $startDate: ServerDateTime, $endDate: ServerDateTime) {
course(contextId: $contextId, tcGuid: $tcGuid) {
studentCount
sections {
id
name
__typename
}
studentInCourseConnection {
edges {
sections {
id
name
__typename
}
__typename
}
__typename
}
weeklyPageviewCounts(startDate: $startDate, endDate: $endDate) {
startDate
count
incomplete
__typename
}
weeklyParticipationCounts(startDate: $startDate, endDate: $endDate) {
startDate
count
incomplete
__typename
}
__typename
}
}

Analytics screen in Canvas:

Screenshot 2021-12-03 134803.png

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