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GraphQL has gained significant popularity as an alternative to RESTful APIs for building flexible and efficient web services. GraphQL is available in plenty of different languages, such as Java, Python, ASP .NET core. But in this article, we'll delve into using GraphQL in the context of C#, exploring its concepts, implementation, and usage with practical examples. Also, we will be using IronPDF for C# for creating PDF files with the help of the GraphQL schema definition query class.
GraphQL query language for APIs that enables clients to request exactly the data they need. Unlike RESTful APIs, where multiple endpoints might return fixed data structures, GraphQL services allow clients to specify the shape of the data they require, making it more efficient and flexible.
To use GraphQL in a C# project, you'll need the HotChocolate library, a popular GraphQL endpoint server implementation for .NET.
First, install the Hot Chocolate NuGet package:
Install-Package HotChocolate.AspNetCore
A GraphQL implementation schema defines the data types and operations available in your API. Here's a simple example of schema first, of a GraphQL service schema for a blog application:
using HotChocolate.Types;
public class QueryType : ObjectType
{
protected override void Configure(IObjectTypeDescriptor descriptor)
{
descriptor.Field("hello world")
.Type<StringType>()
.Resolve(context => "Hello, GraphQL!");
}
}
using HotChocolate.Types;
public class QueryType : ObjectType
{
protected override void Configure(IObjectTypeDescriptor descriptor)
{
descriptor.Field("hello world")
.Type<StringType>()
.Resolve(context => "Hello, GraphQL!");
}
}
In this example, we define a hello world field that returns a string "Hello, GraphQL!" when queried.
Next, set up a GraphQL server using ASP.NET Core:
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Builder;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Hosting;
using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
public class Startup
{
public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
{
services.AddGraphQLServer()
.AddQueryType<QueryType>();
}
public void Configure(IApplicationBuilder app, IWebHostEnvironment env)
{
app.UseRouting();
app.UseEndpoints(endpoints =>
{
endpoints.MapGraphQL();
});
}
}
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Builder;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Hosting;
using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
public class Startup
{
public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
{
services.AddGraphQLServer()
.AddQueryType<QueryType>();
}
public void Configure(IApplicationBuilder app, IWebHostEnvironment env)
{
app.UseRouting();
app.UseEndpoints(endpoints =>
{
endpoints.MapGraphQL();
});
}
}
Now, let's see how to query this GraphQL API from a C# client using the GraphQL.Client
NuGet package:
using GraphQL.Client;
using GraphQL.Client.Http;
using System;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
// query class
public class query
{
public static async Task Main()
{
using var graphQLClient = new GraphQLHttpClient(new GraphQLHttpClientOptions
{
EndPoint = new Uri("http://localhost:5000/graphql")
});
var schema = new GraphQLRequest
{
Query = @"
{
hello world
}"
};
var response = await graphQLClient.SendQueryAsync<dynamic>(schema);
Console.WriteLine(response.Data.hello);
}
}
using GraphQL.Client;
using GraphQL.Client.Http;
using System;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
// query class
public class query
{
public static async Task Main()
{
using var graphQLClient = new GraphQLHttpClient(new GraphQLHttpClientOptions
{
EndPoint = new Uri("http://localhost:5000/graphql")
});
var schema = new GraphQLRequest
{
Query = @"
{
hello world
}"
};
var response = await graphQLClient.SendQueryAsync<dynamic>(schema);
Console.WriteLine(response.Data.hello);
}
}
GraphQL C# offers a powerful and flexible way to design APIs, and with libraries like HotChocolate, integrating a GraphQL backend into your C# applications becomes straightforward. By defining a schema and setting up a server, you can expose your data through a GraphQL API and query it efficiently from C# clients.
IronPDF is a versatile C# library that allows you to create, edit, and manipulate PDF documents effortlessly. In this section, we'll introduce IronPDF and demonstrate how to use it in conjunction with GraphQL to generate dynamic PDF reports.
IronPDF excels with its HTML to PDF functionality, preserving all layouts and styles. It allows for PDF creation from web content, perfect for reports, invoices, and documentation. HTML files, URLs, and HTML strings can be seamlessly converted to PDFs.
using IronPdf;
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
// 1. Convert HTML String to PDF
var htmlContent = "<h1>Hello, IronPDF!</h1><p>This is a PDF from an HTML string.</p>";
var pdfFromHtmlString = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(htmlContent);
pdfFromHtmlString.SaveAs("HTMLStringToPDF.pdf");
// 2. Convert HTML File to PDF
var htmlFilePath = "path_to_your_html_file.html"; // Specify the path to your HTML file
var pdfFromHtmlFile = renderer.RenderHtmlFileAsPdf(htmlFilePath);
pdfFromHtmlFile.SaveAs("HTMLFileToPDF.pdf");
// 3. Convert URL to PDF
var url = "http://ironpdf.com"; // Specify the URL
var pdfFromUrl = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf(url);
pdfFromUrl.SaveAs("URLToPDF.pdf");
}
}
using IronPdf;
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
// 1. Convert HTML String to PDF
var htmlContent = "<h1>Hello, IronPDF!</h1><p>This is a PDF from an HTML string.</p>";
var pdfFromHtmlString = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(htmlContent);
pdfFromHtmlString.SaveAs("HTMLStringToPDF.pdf");
// 2. Convert HTML File to PDF
var htmlFilePath = "path_to_your_html_file.html"; // Specify the path to your HTML file
var pdfFromHtmlFile = renderer.RenderHtmlFileAsPdf(htmlFilePath);
pdfFromHtmlFile.SaveAs("HTMLFileToPDF.pdf");
// 3. Convert URL to PDF
var url = "http://ironpdf.com"; // Specify the URL
var pdfFromUrl = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf(url);
pdfFromUrl.SaveAs("URLToPDF.pdf");
}
}
To get started with IronPDF, install the NuGet package:
Install-Package IronPdf
Let's create a PDF report that fetches user data from our GraphQL API and displays it in a formatted manner.
using IronPdf;
using GraphQL.Client;
using GraphQL.Client.Http;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System;
public class PdfGenerator
{
public async Task GeneratePdfAsync()
{
var graphQLClient = new GraphQLHttpClient(new GraphQLHttpClientOptions
{
EndPoint = new Uri("http://localhost:5000/graphql")
});
// graphql queries & graphql requests
var query = new GraphQLRequest
{
Query = @"
{
hello world
}"
};
var response = await graphQLClient.SendQueryAsync<dynamic>(query);
var helloMessage = response.Data.hello.ToString();
var htmlContent = $@"
<html>
<head><title>GraphQL Report</title></head>
<body>
<h1>GraphQL Report</h1>
<p>{helloMessage}</p>
</body>
</html>";
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(htmlContent);
pdf.SaveAs("GraphQLReport.pdf");
}
}
using IronPdf;
using GraphQL.Client;
using GraphQL.Client.Http;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System;
public class PdfGenerator
{
public async Task GeneratePdfAsync()
{
var graphQLClient = new GraphQLHttpClient(new GraphQLHttpClientOptions
{
EndPoint = new Uri("http://localhost:5000/graphql")
});
// graphql queries & graphql requests
var query = new GraphQLRequest
{
Query = @"
{
hello world
}"
};
var response = await graphQLClient.SendQueryAsync<dynamic>(query);
var helloMessage = response.Data.hello.ToString();
var htmlContent = $@"
<html>
<head><title>GraphQL Report</title></head>
<body>
<h1>GraphQL Report</h1>
<p>{helloMessage}</p>
</body>
</html>";
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(htmlContent);
pdf.SaveAs("GraphQLReport.pdf");
}
}
In this example, we use the GraphQL client to fetch the 'hello world' message from our GraphQL API. Then, we construct an HTML template that includes this message and use IronPDF's ChromePdfRenderer
to convert this HTML to a PDF file.
GraphQL has emerged as a game-changer in API development, offering a more flexible and efficient way to query and manipulate data compared to traditional RESTful APIs. Its ability to allow clients to request only the type query data they need makes it particularly appealing for modern web applications where performance and flexibility are paramount.
Moreover, combining GraphQL with tools and packages like IronPDF opens up a world of exciting possibilities for generating dynamic and data-driven PDF reports. Whether you're creating invoices, generating reports, or producing any other kind of documents, integrating IronPDF with GraphQL in C# provides a powerful and efficient way to automate PDF generation.
In summary, GraphQL and C# make a powerful combination for building modern, flexible, and efficient web applications. With libraries like HotChocolate, GraphQL.Client
, and IronPDF, developers have all the tools they need to build robust, data-driven applications that meet the demands of today's digital landscape.
The HTML to PDF tutorial is available at the following IronPDF Licensing Guide for users to avail.
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