You might have noticed that you don’t hear about GraphQL as much as you used to. Some people might have you believe that developers have lost interest in this technology, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. This blog post will explore why GraphQL isn’t as talked about as it used to be and why it’s still a relevant and valuable technology for developers.
Maturity and stability
GraphQL has come a long way since its introduction a few years ago. As more and more companies adopt GraphQL, the technology has become more mature and stable. The growing number of real-world applications built with GraphQL has resulted in fewer bugs and compatibility issues, making GraphQL a reliable and predictable technology for developers. With its growing popularity, GraphQL has become a well-established technology widely accepted and used in the industry, reducing the need for developers to talk about and evangelize GraphQL.
However, that’s not to say that GraphQL has stopped evolving. The technology continues to evolve and improve, and developers are finding new and innovative ways to use GraphQL to solve complex problems. With its growing popularity and continued evolution, GraphQL is set to remain a valuable and relevant technology for years to come.
It’s no longer new and shiny
When GraphQL was first introduced, it was a new and exciting technology that developers were eager to talk about and share with others. The novelty and excitement surrounding GraphQL were palpable, and developers were eager to explore the potential of this new technology. However, as GraphQL has become more widely adopted and its use has become more common, the novelty and excitement surrounding GraphQL have diminished.
This is a natural progression for any new technology. As new things like GraphQL become more established and widely used, the need to talk about it decreases, and the focus shifts to practical usage and problem-solving. Despite this shift, GraphQL remains a valuable and relevant technology, and developers continue to find new and innovative ways to use GraphQL to solve real-world problems.
As you can see in the 2022 State of The API report, despite REST being the dominant approach to building APIs, GraphQL is still growing. Growing to 28% usage, up from 24% the year prior in surveyed responded.
Furthermore, the 2022 State of GraphQL report shows that GraphQL is maturing, with many respondents reporting three to five years of experience.
Focus on practical usage
GraphQL is now being used in production by many companies, and the focus has shifted from talking about GraphQL to using it to build applications. Developers are now more focused on using GraphQL to solve real-world problems rather than discussing its potential. This shift in focus has contributed to a decrease in the amount of discussion and chatter about GraphQL, but it doesn’t mean that developers have lost interest in the technology.
In fact, as GraphQL becomes more widely used and accepted, developers are becoming increasingly familiar with its capabilities and limitations. This increased familiarity has allowed developers to use GraphQL more creatively and innovatively, leading to new and exciting technology applications. With its growing popularity and continued evolution, GraphQL is set to remain a valuable and relevant technology for years to come.
PayPal was an early adopter of GraphQL. Similarly, GitHub also embraced GraphQL quite early. Both companies are still using GraphQL in production and many others, including; Soundcloud, Netflix and plenty of other known companies.
Just because you don’t hear GraphQL dominate the buzz cycle anymore doesn’t mean it’s dead. If anything, the dying down of the hype is a good thing.
