How To GraphQL - Tutorials to Get You Started
Tags: graphql, tutorial, webdev, beginners
Published: 2022-06-21 19:22:25


 
[StepZen](https://stepzen.com/) gets your GraphQL API deployed and running in minutes, with up to 5000 requests per second with low latency.

[StepZen’s YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/c/StepZen) presents a wealth of short tutorials for learning how to use StepZen to build and deploy GraphQL. This helps you build projects that connect data from databases, REST APIs, external GraphQL APIs, and even SOAP APIs if that’s how you roll.

Here are some of my favorites.

## Query SaaS APIs with GraphQL in a Next.js App
 
[![link to YouTube](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/fc0hvqmpzgljhcjvo9ix.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu0GNFvHQMs)

In this video, Roy teaches us how to query both the DEV.to REST API and the GitHub GraphQL API using [StepZen GraphQL Studio](https://graphql.stepzen.com). You can see how useful this can be for your development flow: Data for both APIs can be mocked before being loaded into a Next.js React application. Then, loading environment variables in your application introduce real data.

## Two Ways to Query Airtable with GraphQL

[![link to YouTube](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/c0cq7sjbjnb1nowafx6s.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el14JtW9WCM)


Airtable is a popular platform for building collaborative apps. In this video, you’ll learn more about real-life GraphQL by watching Roy query Airtable in two different ways. You can use the prebuilt Airtable GraphQL API provided in the [Studio](https://graphql.stepzen.com/) or convert the REST API to GraphQL using ‘stepzen import curl’.

Find a GraphQL API for Airtable in StepZen GraphQL Studio here:

[https://graphql.stepzen.com/airtable](https://graphql.stepzen.com/airtable)

## Automatically Generating TypeScript Types
 
[![link to YouTube](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/42h66i0qkjvy73ftxygj.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT_jKDNMgRw)

Don’t fear TypeScript! Roy shows us how to generate TypeScript types for our GraphQL API endpoint. Since both TypeScript and GraphQL have a type system, you can use your GraphQL schema to generate TypeScript types. This video explains how to use GraphQL Code Generator to generate those types.

## Combing Data From Node.js Microservices

[![link to YouTube](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/26ft9ejf3l5l74i1ajor.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVog47hGmcA)

In this video, we learn how to combine data from different Node.js microservices with GraphQL. You can use GraphQL as a data layer for these microservices and combine the data from all these services into a single, unified API to simplify your development process. Roy introduces us to building this data layer [declaratively](https://stepzen.com/docs/connecting-backends) using StepZen’s custom directives.
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## Load Testing GraphQL APIs With k6

[![link to YouTube](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/p6edvx9uewlxzlwxh2nv.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEk4lMFZEWA)

Watch Roy teach you how to load test a GraphQL API built with StepZen. He uses the [open source library k6](https://k6.io) on a StepZen API that combines data from different sources. You can follow along with this video to test for yourself and see how a GraphQL API built and running on StepZen performs. You can also consult [Roy’s blog post](https://stepzen.com/blog/load-testing-graphql-performance-k6) on the same topic.

## Where to Go From Here

We've created a full [How-to Playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRbLs--WELU9KafLVjlfxgOmjHv0AHGsg). Subscribe to our YouTube channel and check back often - we add new tutorials weekly. And if there’s a how-to you’d like to see, let us know.

If you have questions, feel free to [slide into our Discord](https://discord.com/invite/9k2VdPn2FR). We'd love to see you around! In fact, if you’re working on a GraphQL project and you’d like to join us for a community live stream or have us host your project as a YouTube video, just let us know. We’d love to host you and hear what you’re building.

To learn more about creating GraphQL APIs quickly with StepZen, see:

- [Getting Started](/docs/getting-started)
- [Connecting Backends](/docs/connecting-backends)
- [The StepZen CLI](/docs/cli)