Understanding How the data.refetch() Function in react-apollo Works

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The Problem: Data Not Updating with Filters

Imagine you have a list view in your application that retrieves video data through a GraphQL query. Initially, your query works perfectly and retrieves all the videos. However, once you implement a filtering option, the data returned by your query seems unchanged regardless of the filter applied. This inconsistency can frustrate users who expect the displayed content to reflect their selections.

Example Context:

The initial query fetches videos without any filters:

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After you've set things up correctly, clicking on the filter does not refresh the data as expected. This may leave users with the incorrect assumption that they’re still viewing all videos.

To resolve this problem, you can leverage the refetch function provided by the useQuery hook in react-apollo. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to implement it effectively.

Step 1: Initialize the Query with refetch

Firstly, ensure that you include the refetch function in your component where you are utilizing the useQuery hook:

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Step 2: Call refetch() When Filters Change

Next, you'll want to call refetch whenever the user interacts with the filter component. This is where you supply the new variables for the query:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 3: Handle Updates after State Changes

You can create convenient functions to accommodate various operations, such as saving changes. Here's how you can integrate refetch into an action that adds a new project, for instance:

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Understanding the variables Object

It's also useful to log or debug the variables you supply to the refetch function. Ensure you are indeed sending the correct data structure. You can check this in your development tools or console:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

With these strategies, you'll be well on your way to mastering data management in your React applications with GraphQL and Apollo.