graphql2rest/docs/Using remote GraphQL server.md

GraphQL to REST converter: automatically generate a RESTful API from your existing GraphQL API

## Using a remote GraphQL server

In this example, we'll use [Apollo Link](https://www.apollographql.com/docs/link/links/http/) to connect via HTTP to a remote GraphQL server.

Using Apollo Link with `fetch` is the simplest way to connect GraphQL2REST to an existing GraphQL server, local or remote.

Authentication and authorization against the GraphQL server can be taken care of in the *fetch* parameters. 

#### For example:
```js
const path = require('path');
const { schema } = require('./myGraphQLSchema.js'); // a GraphQLSchema object
const GraphQL2REST = require('graphql2rest');


const { execute, makePromise } = require('apollo-link');
const { createHttpLink } = require('apollo-link-http');
const fetch = require('node-fetch');

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

const gqlServerUri = 'http://10.20.30.1:3000/api/graphql'; // our existing remote GraphQL server

const link = createHttpLink({ uri: gqlServerUri, fetch });

/* GraphQL2REST execute function using apollo-link. Invokes GraphQL operation against gqlServerUri via node-fetch */
const executeGqlLink = (operation) => {
      return makePromise(execute(link, operation));
};

const GQL_FILES_FOLDER = path.resolve(__dirname,'./gqlFilesFolder'); // folder previously generated by generateGqlQueryFiles()

const gql2restOptions = {
	apiPrefix: '/api', //sets the API base path url
	manifestFile: path.resolve(__dirname,'./api-manifest.json'), //pathname of manifest file. Default is ./manifest.json
	gqlGeneratorOutputFolder: GQL_FILES_FOLDER  //.gql files folder
};

const restRouter = GraphQL2REST.init(schema, executeGqlLink, gql2restOptions);

// restRouter now has our REST API attached
app.use('/', restRouter);


```

<br>

Now the following REST API is mounted and active (based on the [manifest file described earlier](manifest-example.json)):

> GET /api/users

> GET /api/users/{userId}

> POST /api/users

> PATCH /api/users/{userId}

> DELETE /api/users/{userId}

<br>


---


Learn more about:
- [Filtering and shaping the responses on the client side](Client%20filters.md)
- [Customizing and formatting response format](Formatting%20responses.md)

<br>

 [Back to [the tutorial](https://github.com/sisense/graphql2rest#tutorial)]