original issue: https://github.com/hasura/graphql-engine/pull/4110 ## Allow disabling query root fields Currently when a select permission is defined for a role on a table, we automatically generate 3 fields for the table (``, ``, ``) in `query_root` and likewise in `subscription_root`. This should be customisable to allow some of the patterns as discussed below. ### Motivation #### 1. Allow selecting data only through relationships (issues: [207](https://github.com/hasura/graphql-engine/issues/207), [696](https://github.com/hasura/graphql-engine/issues/696), [3742](https://github.com/hasura/graphql-engine/issues/3742)). Let's say you have a slack like application with the following schema: | table | columns | relationships | |-------|---------|---------------| | workspace | id, name | members(array, to workspace_membership) | | workspace_membership | workspace_id, user_id | | channel | id, name, workspace_id | workspace(object, to workspace) | | message | id, content, user_id, channel_id | channel(object, to channel) | The permissions for a `user` role would be something along these lines: | table | permissions | |-------|-------------| | workspace | `{"members": {"user_id": "x-hasura-user-id"}}` | | channel | `{"workspace": {"members": {"user_id": "x-hasura-user-id"}}}` | | message | `{"channel": {"workspace": {"members": {"user_id": "x-hasura-user-id"}}}}` | Now let's say we would like to introduce a new table called `message_reaction` which has columns (message_id, reaciton_name, user_id). The permission on `message_reaction` table would be as follows: ```json {"message": {"channel": {"workspace": {"members": {"user_id": "x-hasura-user-id"}}}}} ``` As we go down the chain, our permissions gets more and more nested, refering to the permissions of the parent tables and beyond a point can get quite cumbersome. Let's say in our application we **never** need to access `message_reactions` table directly and is always accessed through `reactions` relationship on `message` table. Can the permission be simplified? Yes! *If we can disable all of the `message_reaction` table's top level fields*, the select filter on `message_reactions` table can be simplified to `{}` and as `message` table has the correct permissions, the relationship `reactions` is restricted to what can be accessed through `message` table. The pattern where certain data can only be accessible through relationships seems to be known as 'Aggregate' pattern under [Domain-Driven Design](https://martinfowler.com/bliki/DDD_Aggregate.html). #### 2. As an additional access control mechanism Let's say you want to allow a client to fetch data from a table only if the client knows the primary key of a row in that table. In this case regardless of the permission on the table, only `
_by_pk` should be exposed in `query_root`. ## Allow disabling subscription fields Currently we do not provide a fine grained control on subscriptions that are exposed - if a select permission is defined on a table, the live queries on that table are exposed through `subscription_root`. (Note: the discussion of `query_root` customisability also applies to `subscription_root`). ### Proposed solution Introduce optional `query_root_fields` and `subscription_root_fields` in select permission which takes a list of `field`s that should be exposed in `query_root` (where `field` is one of `select`/`select_by_pk`/`select_aggregate`) and `subscription_root` (`query_root` fields + `select_stream`) respectively. When these fields are absent, all the values are enabled. The current behaviour is for backwards compatibility. Note: The Relay field `
_connection` will be enabled if `select` is given in `query_root_fields` else it will be disabled. ### Metadata API behaviour For incremental metadata API (`create_select_permission`), throw validation error when: a. A role doesn't have access to the primary key column(s) and `select_by_pk` is added. b. When `select_stream` is added when streaming subscriptions is not enabled in the graphql-engine. c. When `select_aggregate` is added without `allow_aggregations` set to `true`. For `replace_metadata` API, throw validation error in the above cases when `allow_inconsistent_metadata: false` else mark invalid permissions as inconsistent objects. ### Future work 1. Extend this feature for mutations and remote schemas.