Types for context.query

[dcousens]

A copy of our internal team sparring, dated 2022-02-03

The problem is that a context.query.*.find* result cannot be statically translated to produce accurate Typescript types, and as such the result currently is that we return a Record<string, any>.

For example, casting to a Post is the approach typically taken by users, but that can be wrong.
Even if you assumed Partial<Post> (or similar for nulls), the inherent capability of GQL aliases means the naming may not be 1:1 and thus types cannot be automatically inferred.

Proposal: Domain Specific Language (try for a minor)

For context.query add a new fields key which adds support for an object-based query language.
The the where / take syntax remains the same, and the existing find* experience only improves.

const author = await query.Author.findMany({
  where: { name: { eq: 'Dan' } },
  take: 10,

  // traditional
  query: `
    name
    image(width: 100)
    posts(where: { title: { eq: 'My Blog' } }, take: 10) {
      title
    }
  `,

  // alternative
  fields: {
    name: true,
    image: {
      args: { width: 100 },
    },
    posts: {
      take: 10,
      where: { title: { eq: 'My Blog' } },
      fields: {
        title: true
      }
    }
  }
})

For aliasing, we could support a syntax like { as: ... }

Signal 📶

• Everyone wants this
• Low fidelity Typescript types for context.query #7095
• Improved context.query types #7249
• Revert "Improved context.query types" #7302
• Prisma like Return types 🚀 #7438
• Infering data type from context.db or context.query #8484
• `contex.query` types should infer from the GraphQL types #8496