The Linux Foundation plans to host a foundation to support the GraphQL API project, with the intent of growing a neutral ecosystem for the technology.
GraphQL is a specification for building APIs. It is intended to make cross-platform and mobile development simpler. Providing an alternative to REST, GraphQL lets developers use a strongly typed query language to define requests and responses, letting an application specify what it needs from an API. GraphQL enables access to multiple data sources through a single request.
The GraphQL Foundation will have an open governance model to encourage technical contribution and provide a framework for stewardship. Formation could take several months or possibly longer.
Among organizations expected to participate are Facebook, which developed GraphQL in 2012, as well Airbnb, Shopify, Twitter, and Microsoft’s GitHub subsidiary.
The foundation is a natural step in creating a neutral space for collaboration to continue development of GraphQL, said Lee Byron, a cocreator of GraphQL. The intent is to broaden participation and host development efforts. Documentation and technical improvement resources will be hosted by the foundation. Decisions have yet to be made on funding and whether there will be a board of directors.
Feature parity across platforms including the web, iOS, Android, and embedded systems is a goal. Implementations of GraphQL have been made for multiple languages, including JavaScript, Hack, Scala, Java, Ruby, Python, and Go. GraphQL has been used at organizations including Airbnb, GitHub, Netflix, the New York Times, and Twitter.