What is the status of GraphQL-Java Annotations support?

[devopsix]

EDIT: Renamed from “Where to find the example project with the GraphQL Annotations Spring DI work-arounds?” to “What is the status of GraphQL-Java Annotations support?”

Support for GraphQL-Java Annotations seems to be disabled by default. Its is only enabled after including the following dependency:

<dependency>
    <groupId>com.graphql-java-kickstart</groupId>
    <artifactId>graphql-kickstart-spring-boot-starter-graphql-annotations</artifactId>
    <version>8.1.1</version>
</dependency>

In the Spring Boot world, I would rather have expected that support is enabled by just adding the GraphQL-Java Annotations dependency:

<dependency>
    <groupId>io.github.graphql-java</groupId>
    <artifactId>graphql-java-annotations</artifactId>
    <version>8.3</version>
</dependency>

From the Root resolvers, directives, type extensions section of the graphql-spring-boot's README regarding the GraphQL-Java Annotations library:

This means that Spring dependency injection will not work in the usual way. The companion example project (which can be found in the samples repository) demonstrates possible workarounds for this issue.

I have searched the samples repository for “annotations”, “@GraphQLField” and “@GraphQLQueryResolver” but was unable to find any GraphQL-Java Annotations example at all.

I noticed that a GraphQL-Java Annotations example was added to the graphql-spring-boot repository in c8f0a72 but was instantly removed in d37d5b9. Mutations.java might be one of the examples I was looking for.

That's giving me a surprisingly hard time using a feature advertized on the project's home page. I am wondering what the status of GraphQL-Java Annotations support actually is.

Maintainers' feedback on this would be highly appreciated. Can GraphQL-Java Annotations support be considered stable? Are any contributions needed?

[oliemansm]

Contributions are definitely welcome. The way the project has been setup at the moment is with a starter per functionality as you have noticed. It's worth considering to alter that to the approach you mention with one starter and adding a specific dependency to activate certain functionality. Although Spring Boot also uses both approaches. If you want to use web or webflux you have to choose a particular starter. Same applies here if you want to use graphql-java-tools you'll need a different starter than when you want to use annotations.

Support for graphql-java-annotations has been added by one of our active contributors @BlasiusSecundus. The sample was moved from this project to our samples project, however that PR is still a draft because of some weird issue, see: graphql-java-kickstart/samples#7.

As stated on our homepage we are looking for contributors, so any help is appreciated.

[devopsix]

Thank you very much for your prompt response!

Same applies here if you want to use graphql-java-tools you'll need a different starter than when you want to use annotations.

I think there are some changes that would have helped me a lot understanding what approach you have chosen:

• Include tools in the name of the dedicated GraphQL Java Tools starter. graphql-spring-boot-starter is rather unspecific compared to graphql-kickstart-spring-boot-starter-graphql-annotations.
• Use consistent and brief naming for the “public” starter dependencies. graphql-kickstart-spring-boot-starter-graphql-annotations sounded “internal” to me.
• Make the library specific starters include the actual library dependency. EDIT: That already is the case.
• Describe in the README what starter to use for what library. (PR documentation#9)
• Mention the annotations starter in the GraphQL Spring Boot documentation (PR Describe use of graphql-kickstart-spring-boot-starter-graphql-annotations dependency #500 #503)

[BlasiusSecundus]

I have somewhat neglected the sample project lately, but I plan to update it shortly using the latest release (currently uses an old snapshot) of the starter and finalize the PR.

As for the stability / productin readiness: it is certainly less tested and used than the graphql-tools approach. Some major shortcomings (like the issues with dependency injection) need improvements in the GraphQL Annotations depencency first.

Update:
Also, the annotations starter currently only works with the web starter (which it includes as api dependency), so it needs some improvements to make it work with webflux too.

Update 2:

That strange test failure still persists. I will continue investigating and try to find the cause.

[devopsix]

@BlasiusSecundus, have you already looked into graphql-java-annotations#262? Would upgrading to graphql-java-annotations:8.3 and using @AllArgsConstructor(onConstructor_ = @GraphQLConstructor) on CreatePerson maybe fix the issue?

[BlasiusSecundus]

Thanks for the idea, I will try that.

[BlasiusSecundus]

It works, thanks!