We have tested our GraphQL API multiple times during development. We can now start to implement the data layer of our front end code. In later chapters, we will focus on other tasks, such as authentication and client-side routing. For now, we will aim to use our GraphQL API with our React app.

To start, we must install the React Apollo Client library. Apollo Client is a GraphQL client that offers excellent integration with React, and the ability to easily fetch data from our GraphQL API. Furthermore, it handles actions such as caching and subscriptions, to implement real-time communication with your GraphQL back end. Although Apollo Client is named after the Apollo brand, it is not tied to Apollo Server. You can use Apollo Client with any GraphQL API or schema out there, as long as they follow the protocol standards. You will soon see how perfectly the client merges with our React setup.

As always, there are many alternatives out there. You can use any GraphQL client that you wish with the current API that we have built. This openness is the great thing about GraphQL: it uses an open standard for communication. Various libraries implement the GraphQL standard, and you are free to use any of them.

In addition to special client libraries, you could also just use the fetch method or XMLHttpRequest requests. The disadvantage is that you need to implement caching, write request objects, and integrate the request method into your application on your own. I do not recommend doing this, because it takes a lot of time, and you want to put that time into your business, not into implementing existing functionalities.