To start working with GraphQL and Node.js, we first need to set up our development environment. In this chapter, we will guide you through the necessary steps to install Node.js, configure a new project, and add the basic dependencies needed to start building our GraphQL API.

Installing Node.js

If you don't have Node.js installed on your machine yet, you can download it from nodejs.org. It is recommended to install the LTS (Long Term Support) version for greater stability.

You can verify the installation by running the following commands in your terminal:

These commands should display the installed versions of Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager).

Creating a New Project

Once Node.js and npm are installed, you can create a new project. Open your terminal and run the following commands:

bash

These commands will create a new directory called my-graphql-project and generate a package.json file with the default settings.

Installing Dependencies

To set up a GraphQL server with Node.js, we will need the following dependencies:

• express: A minimalist web framework for Node.js servers.
• express-graphql: A GraphQL integration for Express.
• graphql: The reference implementation of GraphQL.

Install the dependencies by running the following command:

bash

Creating the Basic Project Structure

Create the following files in your project:

Server Configuration in server.js

First, let's set up a basic server in server.js:

javascript

Schema Definition in schema.js

At this stage, we will create a basic schema. In later chapters, we will delve into defining types and resolvers.

javascript

This basic setup defines a single query called hello that returns a string.

Running the Server

To run the server, use the following command:

bash

You should now see a message like "GraphQL Server running at http://localhost:4000/graphql". You can open this URL in your browser to access GraphiQL, an integrated development environment for working with GraphQL.

[Placeholder: Screenshot showing GraphiQL open at http://localhost:4000/graphql, with a "hello" query and its corresponding response]

By writing and executing the query

graphql

You should get the following response:

json

Summary

In this chapter, we set up our development environment, creating a project with Node.js, Express, and GraphQL. Now we are ready to delve into the basics of GraphQL in the next chapter.