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AWS AppSync – Build data-driven apps with real-time and offline capabilities

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Re: AWS AppSync – Build data-driven apps with real-time and offline capabilities

#41

Post by ryanmarsh »

abalone wrote: post #36
ryanmarsh wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To my knowledge Firebase doesn’t support graphql. I wish this meme about AppSync being AWS Firebase would die. AppSync is very different from Firebase but not that different from the other graphql-as-a-service companies.

That’s an architectural difference. Firebase predates graphql. I think the idea is at a high level they both target the same type of customer and use case, i.e. rapid development. No?

That’s not the problem GraphQL was invented to solve AFAIK. Subscriptions were added to graphql later. As I understand it graphql was created to abstract various api endpoints and tie the nodes together with resolvers so that queries would be more efficient. Firebase is a real-time db. When you hit it you hit a single endpoint. That’s very different. I can’t imagine anyone well versed in graphql and Firebase and their histories conflating the two but yet my other comments to this are getting downvoted.

Re: AWS AppSync – Build data-driven apps with real-time and offline capabilities

#42

Post by ryanmarsh »

k__ wrote: post #24
ryanmarsh wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. This is AWS response to the various graphql as a service companies.

Sure, but these companies were alternatives to Firebase. Isn't this service simply Scaphold renamed?

No. That is not why graphql was invented. Lurk more.

Re: AWS AppSync – Build data-driven apps with real-time and offline capabilities

#43

Post by ryanmarsh »

fredliu wrote: post #22
ryanmarsh wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AppSync supports graphql subscriptions on mutations. They’re delivered using to the browser using MQTT.

ah, thanks, that's what i wanted to ask. Since it's MQTT, how does it support iOS when the app is in the background? or it won't support that scenario on iOS? On Android, does it also use MQTT to maintain a connection? instead of using FCM/GCM? On the browser, how's the MQTT connection maintained? does it have service worker support for "offline" use cases?

I haven’t been able to ascertain that from the docs. There could be different transports for web and iOS. All I know is web uses MQTT over web sockets and the Apollo library is used for offline and cache support.

Re: AWS AppSync – Build data-driven apps with real-time and offline capabilities

#44

Post by k__ »

ryanmarsh wrote: post #42
k__ wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but these companies were alternatives to Firebase. Isn't this service simply Scaphold renamed?

No. That is not why graphql was invented. Lurk more.

I didn't say this was why GraphQL was invented.

I'm just saying AWS bought Scaphold to deliver a BaaS alternative to Firebase...

Re: AWS AppSync – Build data-driven apps with real-time and offline capabilities

#45

Post by ryanmarsh »

k__ wrote: post #44
ryanmarsh wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. That is not why graphql was invented. Lurk more.

I didn't say this was why GraphQL was invented. I'm just saying AWS bought Scaphold to deliver a BaaS alternative to Firebase...

Amplify + Mobile Hub is AWS BaaS. It’s pretty great. You should check it out.

Re: AWS AppSync – Build data-driven apps with real-time and offline capabilities

#46

Post by nslog »

abalone wrote: post #37
wehadfun wrote: post #23

So basically it is a database in the cloud that you can access using GraphQL over HTTP?

Plus real-time sync and offline capabilities. And I think some search and access control features.

Yup: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/appsync/latest/devguide/security... https://docs.aws.amazon.com/appsync/latest/devguide/tutorial...

Re: AWS AppSync – Build data-driven apps with real-time and offline capabilities

#47

Post by jkarneges »

ryanmarsh wrote: post #41
abalone wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s an architectural difference. Firebase predates graphql. I think the idea is at a high level they both target the same type of customer and use case, i.e. rapid development. No?

That’s not the problem GraphQL was invented to solve AFAIK. Subscriptions were added to graphql later. As I understand it graphql was created to abstract various api endpoints and tie the nodes together with resolvers so that queries would be more efficient. Firebase is a real-time db. When you hit it you hit a single endpoint. That’s very different. I can’t imagine anyone well versed in graphql and Firebase and thei…

From the outside, it would appear that AppSync's main goal is to provide a realtime data/sync solution, and that their choice to use GraphQL was likely a design decision rather than the entire reason for AppSync's existence.

Of course, I say this as an outsider, not familiar with the details of the project, and having only read what's on the AppSync website. If AppSync really does exist solely to deliver GraphQL to the world, hopefully you can understand how this might not be apparent to other HN commentors.

Anyway just trying to explain how there could be confusion, after reading a bunch of the comments on here.

Re: AWS AppSync – Build data-driven apps with real-time and offline capabilities

#48

Post by abalone »

ryanmarsh wrote: post #41
abalone wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s an architectural difference. Firebase predates graphql. I think the idea is at a high level they both target the same type of customer and use case, i.e. rapid development. No?

That’s not the problem GraphQL was invented to solve AFAIK. Subscriptions were added to graphql later. As I understand it graphql was created to abstract various api endpoints and tie the nodes together with resolvers so that queries would be more efficient. Firebase is a real-time db. When you hit it you hit a single endpoint. That’s very different. I can’t imagine anyone well versed in graphql and Firebase and thei…

Yeah, that’s still just an architectural difference. Nobody is conflating graphql and Firebase. It’s AppSync and Firebase. AppSync gives you more flexibility with the back end thanks in part to graphql, which is cool, but for most people it’s in the same “rapid development” solution category as Firebase.
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