Support for GraphQL Federation?

[tinogo]

Description
Since some time, Apollo supports a feature called Federation, which makes it possible to split a monolithic GraphQL server into microservices, so that each service only holds a small subgraph. The federation gateway stitches all these subgraphs back together into a single graph.

It would be great, if this kind of architecture would be possible with API platform, too?
I think, that it would be really beneficial for the PHP ecosystem to be listed in the supported libraries/frameworks, too (https://www.apollographql.com/docs/federation/other-servers/).

I think, that the biggest challenge for API platform would be, to support the "extension" of a graph entity, which isn't defined in the service itself (but another service).

Useful links:

• https://www.apollographql.com/docs/federation/
• https://docs.nestjs.com/graphql/federation

[rvanlaak]

Given that webonyx/graphql-php is used as drop-in library to add GraphQL support, it seems that having Federation support in API Platform is a matter of having sufficient support in that library. Issue webonyx/graphql-php#515 was created to track Federation support on it, and that issue mentions that it isn't quite active.

The Apollo support page you mentioned states that none of the PHP libraries at this moment supports Federation 2 yet.

[stat1x]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to follow up and ask about the current status of Apollo Federation support for API Platform. From what I've gathered, the main challenge is still the lack of support for Federation 2 in PHP libraries, particularly in webonyx/graphql-php, which API Platform relies on.

I saw that a related issue was created in the webonyx/graphql-php repo, but it seems there hasn't been much movement on that front. Is there any update or ongoing work towards making Apollo Federation feasible within the API Platform ecosystem?

Looking forward to any updates or plans around this! Thanks for your hard work.

[FlavienBusseuil]

Same question here. What is unclear to me is that webonyx/graphql-php seems to support most of the Apollo Federation 1 directives according to https://www.apollographql.com/docs/graphos/reference/federation/compatible-subgraphs#php so how far are we to have Federation 1 support in API Plateform ?

[rvanlaak]

webonyx/graphql-php#515 (comment) is quite clear that Federation support would be considered a dialect by Apollo on top of the original reference implementation. Given that comment, the most likely way to potentially add Apollo Federation 2 support, is by having a separate library enhance the webonyx implementation.

From what I remember from my investigation of a year ago, the Skillshare repo seems to provide code-first federation support, but is about Federation version 1: https://github.com/Skillshare/apollo-federation-php and Federation 2 support through Skillshare/apollo-federation-php#24 and PR Skillshare/apollo-federation-php#26 seem to be silent since February 2023.

The Apollo compatibility documentation also is a good reference (and is related to this repo), and is clear that the SDL-first implementation for Laravel called Lighthouse seems to be the only PHP one currently supporting Federation 2 directives.

[stat1x]

Hi team,

I’d like to echo the previous discussions and emphasize the value of supporting Apollo Federation, particularly Federation 2, within API Platform. As Apollo Federation continues to gain traction in the GraphQL ecosystem, having PHP frameworks like API Platform provide compatibility would significantly enhance the PHP community's ability to adopt modern, federated GraphQL architectures.

While it’s clear that some groundwork depends on advancements in webonyx/graphql-php and related libraries, there’s a compelling case for API Platform to explore intermediate steps. For instance:

• Partial Federation Support: As webonyx seems to support a subset of Federation 1 directives, API Platform could implement initial compatibility with those, providing a foundation for further enhancements.
• Collaborative Efforts: The Skillshare repository (https://github.com/Skillshare/apollo-federation-php) and its related PRs offer a starting point. Collaborating with these efforts or even creating an independent enhancement library could accelerate progress.
• Broader Ecosystem Impact: PHP’s recognition in Apollo’s compatibility documentation as a supported language would raise the profile of API Platform and drive adoption among developers considering federated approaches.

Would it be feasible to start with Federation 1 compatibility as a stepping stone, while tracking Federation 2 advancements? Even limited support would make API Platform more competitive and encourage community contributions toward a full implementation.

Thanks for considering this! Let me know if there’s any way the community can assist in making this happen.

[rvanlaak]

Given that all the required code changes already are there in Skillshare/apollo-federation-php#26, it's such a pity that Skillshare/apollo-federation-subgraph-compatibility#1 and Skillshare/apollo-federation-subgraph-compatibility#2 seem stale for quite a while already.