apollo-upload-client

A terminating Apollo Link for Apollo Client that allows FileList, File, Blob or ReactNativeFile instances within query or mutation variables and sends GraphQL multipart requests.

Setup

Install with npm:

npm install apollo-upload-client

Remove any uri, credentials, or headers options from the ApolloClient constructor.

Apollo Client can only have 1 terminating Apollo Link that sends the GraphQL requests; if one such as HttpLink is already setup, remove it.

Initialize the client with a terminating Apollo Link using createUploadLink.

Also ensure the GraphQL server implements the GraphQL multipart request spec and that uploads are handled correctly in resolvers.

Usage

Use FileList, File, Blob or ReactNativeFile instances anywhere within query or mutation variables to send a GraphQL multipart request.

See also the example API and client.

FileList

import { gql, useMutation } from '@apollo/client';

const MUTATION = gql`
  mutation($files: [Upload!]!) {
    uploadFiles(files: $files) {
      success
    }
  }
`;

function UploadFiles() {
  const [mutate] = useMutation(MUTATION);

  function onChange({ target: { validity, files } }) {
    if (validity.valid) mutate({ variables: { files } });
  }

  return <input type="file" multiple required onChange={onChange} />;
}

File

import { gql, useMutation } from '@apollo/client';

const MUTATION = gql`
  mutation($file: Upload!) {
    uploadFile(file: $file) {
      success
    }
  }
`;

function UploadFile() {
  const [mutate] = useMutation(MUTATION);

  function onChange({
    target: {
      validity,
      files: [file],
    },
  }) {
    if (validity.valid) mutate({ variables: { file } });
  }

  return <input type="file" required onChange={onChange} />;
}

Blob

import { gql, useMutation } from '@apollo/client';

const MUTATION = gql`
  mutation($file: Upload!) {
    uploadFile(file: $file) {
      success
    }
  }
`;

function UploadFile() {
  const [mutate] = useMutation(MUTATION);

  function onChange({ target: { validity, value } }) {
    if (validity.valid) {
      const file = new Blob([value], { type: 'text/plain' });

      // Optional, defaults to `blob`.
      file.name = 'text.txt';

      mutate({ variables: { file } });
    }
  }

  return <input type="text" required onChange={onChange} />;
}

Support

• Node.js ^10.17.0 || ^12.0.0 || >= 13.7.0
• Browsers > 0.5%, not OperaMini all, not dead
• React Native

Consider polyfilling:

• Promise
• fetch
• FormData

API

Table of contents

• class ReactNativeFile
• function createUploadLink
• function formDataAppendFile
• function isExtractableFile
• type ExtractableFileMatcher
• type FetchOptions
• type FormDataFileAppender
• type ReactNativeFileSubstitute

class ReactNativeFile

Used to mark React Native File substitutes as it’s too risky to assume all objects with uri, type and name properties are extractable files.

See

• extract-files ReactNativeFile docs.

Examples

Ways to import.

import { ReactNativeFile } from 'apollo-upload-client';

import ReactNativeFile from 'apollo-upload-client/public/ReactNativeFile.js';

Ways to require.

const { ReactNativeFile } = require('apollo-upload-client');

const ReactNativeFile = require('apollo-upload-client/public/ReactNativeFile');

A React Native file that can be used in query or mutation variables.

import { ReactNativeFile } from 'apollo-upload-client';

const file = new ReactNativeFile({
  uri: uriFromCameraRoll,
  name: 'a.jpg',
  type: 'image/jpeg',
});

function createUploadLink

Creates a terminating Apollo Link capable of file uploads.

The link matches and extracts files in the GraphQL operation. If there are files it uses a FormData instance as the fetch options.body to make a GraphQL multipart request, otherwise it sends a regular POST request.

Some of the options are similar to the createHttpLink options.

Returns: ApolloLink — A terminating Apollo Link capable of file uploads.

See

• GraphQL multipart request spec.
• apollo-link on GitHub.

Examples

Ways to import.

import { createUploadLink } from 'apollo-upload-client';

import createUploadLink from 'apollo-upload-client/public/createUploadLink.js';

Ways to require.

const { createUploadLink } = require('apollo-upload-client');

const createUploadLink = require('apollo-upload-client/public/createUploadLink');

A basic Apollo Client setup.

import { ApolloClient, InMemoryCache } from '@apollo/client';
import { createUploadLink } from 'apollo-upload-client';

const client = new ApolloClient({
  cache: new InMemoryCache(),
  link: createUploadLink(),
});

function formDataAppendFile

The default implementation for createUploadLink options.formDataAppendFile that uses the standard FormData.append method.

Type: FormDataFileAppender

Examples

Ways to import.

import { formDataAppendFile } from 'apollo-upload-client';

import formDataAppendFile from 'apollo-upload-client/public/formDataAppendFile.js';

Ways to require.

const { formDataAppendFile } = require('apollo-upload-client');

const formDataAppendFile = require('apollo-upload-client/public/formDataAppendFile');

function isExtractableFile

The default implementation for createUploadLink options.isExtractableFile.

Type: ExtractableFileMatcher

Returns: boolean — Is the value an extractable file.

See

• extract-files isExtractableFile docs.

Examples

Ways to import.

import { isExtractableFile } from 'apollo-upload-client';

import isExtractableFile from 'apollo-upload-client/public/isExtractableFile.js';

Ways to require.

const { isExtractableFile } = require('apollo-upload-client');

const isExtractableFile = require('apollo-upload-client/public/isExtractableFile');

type ExtractableFileMatcher

A function that checks if a value is an extractable file.

Type: Function

Returns: boolean — Is the value an extractable file.

See

• isExtractableFile has this type.

Examples

How to check for the default exactable files, as well as a custom type of file.

import { isExtractableFile } from 'apollo-upload-client';

const isExtractableFileEnhanced = (value) =>
  isExtractableFile(value) ||
  (typeof CustomFile !== 'undefined' && value instanceof CustomFile);

type FetchOptions

GraphQL request fetch options.

Type: object

See

• Polyfillable fetch options.

type FormDataFileAppender

Appends a file extracted from the GraphQL operation to the FormData instance used as the fetch options.body for the GraphQL multipart request.

See

• formDataAppendFile has this type.
• createUploadLink accepts this type in options.formDataAppendFile.

type ReactNativeFileSubstitute

A React Native File substitute.

Be aware that inspecting network traffic with buggy versions of dev tools such as Flipper can interfere with the React Native FormData implementation, causing multipart requests to have network errors.

Type: object

See

• extract-files ReactNativeFileSubstitute docs.
• React Native FormData polyfill source.

Examples

A camera roll file.

const fileSubstitute = {
  uri: uriFromCameraRoll,
  name: 'a.jpg',
  type: 'image/jpeg',
};