nestjs - Is it essential to send response data to dto when working with graphql?

Question

Hi I am making api server with nestjs and graphql.

I have a question.

When the api server passes the response to the stack above.

1. Is it right to load the response into the dto?
2. If question number one is correct, what is the best way?
3. Or does the graphql schema type play the role of dto?

let me know thank you!

Answer 1

A DTO is an object that helps developers and consumers know what shape the data is going to be in as it goes "over the wire" (when the request or response is made). In GraphQL we use schemas to be our DTOs and follow the GraphQL Query Language spec so that our GraphQL server will know how to deserialize incoming requests and serialize outgoing ones in accordance to the shcemas we create. The only thing that matters in the end is that the data is the correct shape^, not that it's an instance of a class that we created for the sake of the server. With NestJS, it depends if you take the code-first or schema-first approach, but generally in the code-first approach it can be said that your GQL Schema is your DTO. From there, as long as the data looks like the DTO you should be fine.

^ excluding the use of nested schemas which can become problematic if you are trying to return raw JSON and nothing else