graphql-engine/docs/graphql/manual/actions/index.rst
Karthikeyan Chinnakonda 5116e16e18
server(actions): add support for queries (close #4032) (#4309)
* add support for action queries

* a new parameter `type` is added in the ArgumentDefinition, its value
  can be either `query` or `mutation` and it defaults to the latter

* throw 400 when a query action is tried to explain

* update the actions docs to include query actions

* refactor the ToJSON and ToOrdJSON of ActionDefinition

Co-authored-by: Rishichandra Wawhal <rishi@hasura.io>
Co-authored-by: Tirumarai Selvan <tiru@hasura.io>
2020-04-16 12:55:19 +05:30

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.. meta::
:description: Hasura actions
:keywords: hasura, docs, actions
.. _actions:
Actions (beta)
==============
.. contents:: Table of contents
:backlinks: none
:depth: 2
:local:
What are actions?
-----------------
Actions are a way to extend Hasura's schema with custom business
logic using custom queries and mutations. Actions can be
added to Hasura to handle various use cases such as data validation, data
enrichment from external sources and any other complex business logic.
.. thumbnail:: ../../../img/graphql/manual/actions/actions-hl-arch.png
:class: no-shadow
:alt: Actions high level architecture
.. admonition:: Supported from
Actions are currently available in beta in the pre-release versions of ``v1.2.0``.
.. Actions are supported in versions ``v.1.2.0`` and above.
.. admonition:: Postgres support
Actions are supported for ``Postgres versions 10 or higher``.
Action description
------------------
An action consists of the following parts:
1. ``Type``: The type of the action (``query`` or ``mutation``)
2. ``Definition``: The definition of the query or mutation
3. ``Handler``: The logic to be run when the query or mutation is executed
4. ``Kind``: Sync or async
.. note::
In case of a query action, there is no ``Kind`` associated with the action.
A query action works like a ``Synchronous`` mutation action.
Type
****
Actions can be of two types:
- **Query action**: An action of type ``query`` extends the query root of the Hasura schema. This means that you can execute this action through a GraphQL query. Query actions must be used where you want to fetch data from a data source without changing anything on the data source.
- **Mutation action**: An action of type ``mutation`` extends the mutation root of the Hasura schema. This means that you can execute this action through a GraphQL mutation. Mutation actions must be used when you want to mutate the state of a data source and fetch some data.
Definition
**********
The action definition consists of the following:
- ``Action Name``: The action will be available as a query or mutation in the GraphQL
schema named as the action name
- ``Arguments``: Arguments are used to pass dynamic values along with the
query/mutation.
- ``Response type``: The GraphQL type of the response that the query or mutation will
return. Actions can only return object types.
For instance, consider this action definition:
.. code-block:: graphql
extend type Mutation {
userLogin(username: String!, password: String!): UserInfo
}
In this definition, we are extending the mutation root with an action called
``userLogin``.
- ``userLogin`` is the action name
- ``username`` and ``password`` are the arguments that accept non-nullable
string values.
- ``UserInfo`` is the response type of the action
**Custom Types**
An action must return an object type. This means, you will have to define your
custom types like so:
.. code-block:: graphql
type UserInfo {
accessToken: String!
userId: Int!
}
Read more about :ref:`custom types<custom_types>`.
Handler
*******
Once you define the action types, you also have to specify the logic to run
when the action is executed. This can be done in an HTTP webhook,
also called the action handler. It could be a REST endpoint or a serverless
function.
Learn more about :ref:`writing an action handler<action_handlers>`.
Kind
****
Mutation actions are of two kinds:
* **Synchronous actions**: Sync actions return a response to the client after
receiving a response from the handler.
* **Asynchronous actions**: :ref:`Async actions <async_actions>` return an
``action id`` as response to the client before receiving a response from the
handler and allow the client to subscribe to the actual response using the
``action id``.
Query actions don't have a kind, they always behave like ``Synchronous mutation actions``.
How it works?
-------------
* Hasura receives the action GraphQL query or mutation and converts this request into an
event payload.
* The event is captured, persisted and then delivered to the action handler with
the appropriate retry/delivery guarantees.
* The action handler runs and returns a response that is captured as an event
and again persisted to the event store.
* The action response is returned to the client synchronously or asynchronously
based on the kind.
Learn more
----------
.. toctree::
:maxdepth: 1
:titlesonly:
create
Custom types <types/index>
action-handlers
async-actions
Codegen <codegen>
derive
action-connect