Orionjs provides a clean, decorator-based approach to define GraphQL resolvers. The @Resolvers() decorator along with @Query(), @Mutation(), and other decorators make it easy to create type-safe GraphQL APIs with minimal boilerplate.

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Creating a Resolvers Controller

A resolvers controller is a class decorated with @Resolvers() that contains methods decorated with @Query() or @Mutation() to define GraphQL operations:

import { Mutation, Query, Resolvers, createQuery, createMutation } from '@orion-js/graphql'
import { Inject } from '@orion-js/services'
import { schemaWithName, InferSchemaType } from '@orion-js/schema'
import { ExampleService } from '../services/ExampleService'

// Define schemas with schemaWithName
export const ExampleParams = schemaWithName('ExampleParams', {
  exampleId: { type: String }
})

export const ExampleSchema = schemaWithName('ExampleSchema', {
  _id: { type: String },
  name: { type: String },
  createdAt: { type: Date }
})

// Infer types from schemas
export type ExampleParamsType = InferSchemaType<typeof ExampleParams>
export type ExampleSchemaType = InferSchemaType<typeof ExampleSchema>

@Resolvers()
export default class ExampleResolvers {
  @Inject(() => ExampleService)
  private exampleService: ExampleService

  @Query()
  example = createQuery({
    params: ExampleParams,
    returns: ExampleSchema,
    resolve: async (params: ExampleParamsType) => {
      return await this.exampleService.getAExample(params.exampleId)
    }
  })

  @Query()
  examples = createQuery({
    returns: [ExampleSchema],
    resolve: async () => {
      return await this.exampleService.getExamples()
    }
  })

  @Mutation()
  createExample = createMutation({
    returns: String,
    resolve: async () => {
      await this.exampleService.makeExample()
      return 'Created example'
    }
  })
}

​
Query Resolvers

Use the @Query() decorator with the createQuery() function to define GraphQL query operations:

@Query()
user = createQuery({
  params: UserParams,
  returns: UserSchema,
  resolve: async (params) => {
    return await this.userService.getUser(params.userId)
  }
})

​
Query Decorator Options

The @Query() decorator accepts the following options:

@Query({
  name: 'findUser', // Custom name for the GraphQL query (defaults to method name)
  description: 'Find a user by ID' // Description for GraphQL schema documentation
})

​
Mutation Resolvers

Use the @Mutation() decorator with the createMutation() function to define GraphQL mutation operations:

@Mutation()
createUser = createMutation({
  params: CreateUserParams,
  returns: UserSchema,
  resolve: async (params) => {
    return await this.userService.createUser(params)
  }
})

​
Mutation Decorator Options

The @Mutation() decorator accepts the same options as @Query():

@Mutation({
  name: 'registerUser', // Custom name for the GraphQL mutation
  description: 'Register a new user' // Description for GraphQL schema documentation
})

​
Defining Parameters

Define parameters using the schemaWithName function:

export const UserParams = schemaWithName('UserParams', {
  userId: { type: String, required: true }
})

export type UserParamsType = InferSchemaType<typeof UserParams>

@Query()
user = createQuery({
  params: UserParams,
  returns: UserSchema,
  resolve: async (params: UserParamsType) => {
    return await this.userService.getUser(params.userId)
  }
})

​
Nested Parameters

You can create complex parameter structures:

export const AddressInput = schemaWithName('AddressInput', {
  street: { type: String, required: true },
  city: { type: String, required: true },
  zipCode: { type: String, required: true }
})

export const CreateUserParams = schemaWithName('CreateUserParams', {
  name: { type: String, required: true },
  email: { type: String, required: true },
  address: { type: AddressInput }
})

​
Defining Return Types

Specify the return type in the returns property of createQuery or createMutation:

// Return a single item
@Query()
user = createQuery({
  params: UserParams,
  returns: UserSchema,
  resolve: async (params) => {
    // ...
  }
})

// Return an array of items
@Query()
users = createQuery({
  returns: [UserSchema],
  resolve: async () => {
    // ...
  }
})

// Return primitive types
@Query()
getMessage = createQuery({
  returns: String,
  resolve: async () => {
    // ...
  }
})

@Query()
checkAvailability = createQuery({
  returns: Boolean,
  resolve: async () => {
    // ...
  }
})

@Query()
countUsers = createQuery({
  returns: Number,
  resolve: async () => {
    // ...
  }
})

​
Middleware

You can add middleware to your resolvers using the @UseMiddleware() decorator:

import { UseMiddleware } from '@orion-js/graphql'
import { authMiddleware } from '../middleware/auth'

@Query()
@UseMiddleware(authMiddleware)
me = createQuery({
  returns: UserSchema,
  resolve: async (_, viewer) => {
    // viewer.user is available because of authMiddleware
    return viewer.user
  }
})

​
Middleware Chaining

You can apply multiple middlewares to a resolver:

@Query()
@UseMiddleware(authMiddleware)
@UseMiddleware(logMiddleware)
@UseMiddleware(rateLimit(100))
protectedResource = createQuery({
  // ...
})

​
Model Resolvers

For defining field resolvers on specific GraphQL types, see the Model Resolvers documentation.

​
Subscription Resolvers

For real-time functionality, use the @Subscriptions() and @Subscription() decorators:

import { Subscription, Subscriptions, createSubscription } from '@orion-js/graphql'
import { Inject } from '@orion-js/services'
import { UserService } from '../services/UserService'

@Subscriptions()
export default class UserSubscriptions {
  @Inject(() => UserService)
  private userService: UserService

  @Subscription()
  userCreated = createSubscription({
    params: ParamsSchema,
    returns: UserSchema,
    description: 'Triggers when a user is created',
    async canSubscribe(params) {
      // Check if subscription is allowed
      return true
    }
  })
}

​
Error Handling

Orionjs automatically handles errors in resolvers and formats them appropriately:

@Query()
riskyOperation = createQuery({
  returns: String,
  resolve: async () => {
    try {
      const result = await this.someService.performOperation()
      return result
    } catch (error) {
      // Custom error handling
      throw new Error(`Operation failed: ${error.message}`)
    }
  }
})

​
Context and Viewer

All resolver methods receive the viewer object as the second parameter, which contains the authenticated user and other context information:

@Query()
userProfile = createQuery({
  returns: UserProfile,
  resolve: async (_, viewer) => {
    // Check if user is authenticated
    if (!viewer.user) {
      throw new Error('Unauthorized')
    }
    
    return await this.userService.getProfile(viewer.user._id)
  }
})

​
GraphQL Info

You can access the GraphQL info object to optimize your queries:

@Query()
complexData = createQuery({
  returns: ComplexData,
  resolve: async (params, viewer, info) => {
    // Use info to determine which fields were requested
    const requestedFields = extractFieldsFromInfo(info)
    
    // Only fetch the data that was requested
    return await this.dataService.getOptimizedData(requestedFields)
  }
})

​
Starting GraphQL Server

To start the GraphQL server:

import { startGraphQL, startGraphiQL } from '@orion-js/graphql'
import { app } from '@orion-js/http'

// Start GraphQL server
startGraphQL({
  path: '/graphql'
})

// Optional: Start GraphiQL (GraphQL IDE)
startGraphiQL({
  path: '/graphiql',
  graphqlUrl: '/graphql'
})

​
Best Practices

  1. Organize by Domain: Group related resolvers in the same controller class.

  2. Leverage Dependency Injection: Use @Inject(() => Service) to access services.

  3. Keep Resolvers Focused: Each resolver method should handle one specific GraphQL operation.

  4. Use Strong Typing: Define parameter and return types using schema and InferSchemaType.

  5. Validate Input: The schema system automatically validates input.

  6. Implement Authorization: Use middleware for authentication and authorization.

  7. Handle Errors Gracefully: Catch and handle errors appropriately.

  8. Optimize Queries: Use the info parameter to optimize database queries.

  9. Document Your API: Add descriptions to your schemas and resolvers.

  10. Test Your Resolvers: Write unit tests for your resolver logic.

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