Getting Started with Apollo iOS

Follow the steps below to add Apollo iOS to your app:

1. Install the Apollo frameworks

You can add Apollo iOS into your project using Swift Package Manager or CocoaPods.

2. Add a schema file to your target directory

For Apollo iOS to generate models for your GraphQL operations, you need a local copy of your GraphQL server's schema.

See Downloading a schema for more details.

3. Create `.graphql` files for your GraphQL operations

Apollo iOS generates code from the GraphQL queries and mutations defined in your target's files. To use Apollo iOS, you'll need to define at least one operation GraphQL operation.

GraphQL operation and fragment definitions traditionally have the file extension .graphql. The generated models will have the file extension .graphql.swift.

See Defining operations for more details.

4. Setup and run code generation

Apollo iOS code generation uses your .graphql files to generate API code that helps you execute GraphQL operations and parse and cache operation responses.

Whenever you make changes to your GraphQL operation definitions, you'll need to run the code generation engine to re-generate your GraphQL models.

The easiest way to do this is with the Codegen CLI provided with Apollo iOS.

For more advanced usage and configuration (including use with modularized projects), see Code Generation.

To use Apollo's code generation and schema downloader from within any Swift script or library, check out Running code generation in Swift code.

1
Install the Codegen CLI
The Apollo iOS SPM package includes the Codegen CLI as an executable target. This ensures you always have a valid CLI version for your Apollo iOS version.
To simplify accessing the Codegen CLI, you can run the included apollo-cli-install SPM plugin. This plugin builds the CLI and creates a symbolic link to the executable in your project root.
If using a Package.swift file, you can install the CLI by running:
swift package --allow-writing-to-package-directory apollo-cli-install
After the plugin installs, it creates a symbolic link to the Codegen CLI (named apollo-ios-cli) in your project root folder. You can now run the CLI from the command line using ./apollo-ios-cli.
Note: Because the apollo-ios-cli in your project root is only a symbolic link, it only works if the compiled CLI executable exists. This is generally located in your Xcode Derived Data or the .build folder. If these are cleared, you can rerun the Install CLI plugin to rebuild the CLI executable.
2
Initialize the code generation configuration
The Codegen CLI uses a JSON file to configure the code generation engine. You can use the Codegen CLI's init command to create this file with default values.
From your project's root directory, run the following command with your customized values:
./apollo-ios-cli init --schema-name ${MySchemaName} --module-type ${ModuleType}
- ${MySchemaName} provides a name for the namespace of your generated schema files.
- ${ModuleType} configures how your generated schema types are included in your project.
  This is a crucial decision to make before configuring code generation. To determine the right option for your project, see Project Configuration.
  To get started quickly, you can use the embeddedInTarget option. Using embeddedInTarget, you must supply a target name using the --target-name command line option.
Running this command creates an apollo-codegen-config.json file.
3
Configure code generation options
Open your apollo-codegen-config.json file to start configuring code generation for your project.
The default configuration will:
- Find all GraphQL schema files ending with the file extension .graphqls within your project directory.
- Find all GraphQL operation and fragment definition files ending with the file extension .graphql within your project directory.
- Generate Swift code for the schema types in a directory with the schema-name provided.
- Generate Swift code for the operation and fragment models in a subfolder within the schema types output location.
4
Run code generation
From your project's root directory, run:
./apollo-ios-cli generate
The code generation engine creates your files with the extension .graphql.swift.
Add the generated schema and operation files to your target
By default, a directory containing your generated schema files is within a directory with the schema name you provided (i.e., MySchemaName). Your generated operation and fragment files are in a subfolder within the same directory.
If you created your target in an Xcode project or workspace, you'll need to manually add the generated files to your target.
Note: Because adding generated files to your Xcode targets must be done manually each time you generate new files, we highly recommend defining your project targets with SPM. Alternatively, you can generate your operations into the package that includes your schema files. For more information see the documentation for Code Generation Configuration.

1
Install the Codegen CLI
The Apollo iOS SPM package includes the Codegen CLI as an executable target. This ensures you always have a valid CLI version for your Apollo iOS version.
To simplify accessing the Codegen CLI, you can run the included InstallCLI SPM plugin.
This plugin builds the CLI and creates a symbolic link to the executable in your project root.
If you use Swift packages through Xcode, you can right-click on your project in the Xcode file explorer, revealing an Install CLI plugin command. Selecting this command presents a dialog allowing you to grant the plugin "write" access to your project directory.
After the plugin installs, it creates a symbolic link to the Codegen CLI (named apollo-ios-cli) in your project root folder. You can now run the CLI from the command line with ./apollo-ios-cli.
Note: Because the apollo-ios-cli in your project root is only a symbolic link, it only works if the compiled CLI executable exists. This is generally located in your Xcode Derived Data or the .build folder. If these are cleared, you can rerun the Install CLI plugin to rebuild the CLI executable.
2
Initialize the code generation configuration
The Codegen CLI uses a JSON file to configure the code generation engine. You can use the Codegen CLI's init command to create this file with default values.
From your project's root directory, run the following command with your customized values:
./apollo-ios-cli init --schema-name ${MySchemaName} --module-type ${ModuleType}
- ${MySchemaName} provides a name for the namespace of your generated schema files.
- ${ModuleType} configures how your generated schema types are included in your project.
  This is a crucial decision to make before configuring code generation. To determine the right option for your project, see Project Configuration.
  To get started quickly, you can use the embeddedInTarget option. Using embeddedInTarget, you must supply a target name using the --target-name command line option.
Running this command creates an apollo-codegen-config.json file.
3
Configure code generation options
Open your apollo-codegen-config.json file to start configuring code generation for your project.
The default configuration will:
- Find all GraphQL schema files ending with the file extension .graphqls within your project directory.
- Find all GraphQL operation and fragment definition files ending with the file extension .graphql within your project directory.
- Generate Swift code for the schema types in a directory with the schema-name provided.
- Generate Swift code for the operation and fragment models in a subfolder within the schema types output location.
4
Run code generation
From your project's root directory, run:
./apollo-ios-cli generate
The code generation engine creates your files with the extension .graphql.swift.
Add the generated schema and operation files to your target
By default, a directory containing your generated schema files is within a directory with the schema name you provided (i.e., MySchemaName). Your generated operation and fragment files are in a subfolder within the same directory.
If you created your target in an Xcode project or workspace, you'll need to manually add the generated files to your target.
Note: Because adding generated files to your Xcode targets must be done manually each time you generate new files, we highly recommend defining your project targets with SPM. Alternatively, you can generate your operations into the package that includes your schema files. For more information see the documentation for Code Generation Configuration.

1
Install the Codegen CLI
If you use Cocoapods, Apollo iOS compiles the Codegen CLI into an executable shell application during pod install (located in Pods/Apollo/apollo-ios-cli).
After installing the Apollo iOS pod, you can run the Codegen CLI from the directory of your Podfile:
./Pods/Apollo/apollo-ios-cli ${Command Name} -${Command Arguments}
Note: If you are using :path in your Podfile to link to a local copy of Apollo iOS, the CLI will not be automatically available. You will need to manually build the Codegen CLI. See the CLI installation guide for directions on how to do that.
2
Initialize the code generation configuration
The Codegen CLI uses a JSON file to configure the code generation engine. You can use the Codegen CLI's init command to create this file with default values.
From your project's root directory, run the following command with your customized values:
./Pods/Apollo/apollo-ios-cli init --schema-name ${MySchemaName} --module-type ${ModuleType}
- ${MySchemaName} provides a name for the namespace of your generated schema files.
- ${ModuleType} configures how your generated schema types are included in your project.
  This is a crucial decision to make before configuring code generation. To determine the right option for your project, see Project Configuration.
  To get started quickly, you can use the embeddedInTarget option. Using embeddedInTarget, you must supply a target name using the --target-name command line option.
Running this command creates an apollo-codegen-config.json file.
3
Configure code generation options
Open your apollo-codegen-config.json file to start configuring code generation for your project.
The default configuration will:
- Find all GraphQL schema files ending with the file extension .graphqls within your project directory.
- Find all GraphQL operation and fragment definition files ending with the file extension .graphql within your project directory.
- Generate Swift code for the schema types in a directory with the schema-name provided.
- Generate Swift code for the operation and fragment models in a subfolder within the schema types output location.
4
Run code generation
From your project's root directory, run:
./Pods/Apollo/apollo-ios-cli generate
The code generation engine creates your files with the extension .graphql.swift.
Add the generated schema and operation files to your target
By default, a directory containing your generated schema files is within a directory with the schema name you provided (i.e., MySchemaName). Your generated operation and fragment files are in a subfolder within the same directory.
If you created your target in an Xcode project or workspace, you'll need to manually add the generated files to your target.
Note: Because adding generated files to your Xcode targets must be done manually each time you generate new files, we highly recommend defining your project targets with SPM. Alternatively, you can generate your operations into the package that includes your schema files. For more information see the documentation for Code Generation Configuration.

5. Create an `ApolloClient`

Before you can execute GraphQL operations in your app, you need to initialize an ApolloClient instance.

1
import Foundation
2
import Apollo
3

4
let apolloClient = ApolloClient(url: URL(string: "http://localhost:4000/graphql")!)

See Creating a client for more details.

6. Fetch a query

ApolloClient can fetch your generated operation definitions, and return the response as a type-safe generated data model.

For example, if you define a query called HeroName:

1
query HeroName {
2
  hero {
3
    name
4
  }
5
}

Apollo iOS will generate a HeroNameQuery class that you can construct and pass to ApolloClient.fetch(query:):

1
apolloClient.fetch(query: HeroNameQuery) { result in
2
  guard let data = try? result.get().data else { return }
3
  print(data.hero.name) // Luke Skywalker
4
}

See Fetching data for more details.

Edit on GitHub

Introduction

Migrating to v1.0

Getting Started with Apollo iOS

1. Install the Apollo frameworks

Add Apollo iOS to your dependencies list

Link the Apollo product to your package target

Install or update CocoaPods

Add dependencies

2. Add a schema file to your target directory

3. Create `.graphql` files for your GraphQL operations

4. Setup and run code generation

Install the Codegen CLI

Initialize the code generation configuration

Configure code generation options

Run code generation

Add the generated schema and operation files to your target

Install the Codegen CLI

Initialize the code generation configuration

Configure code generation options

Run code generation

Add the generated schema and operation files to your target

Install the Codegen CLI

Initialize the code generation configuration

Configure code generation options

Run code generation

Add the generated schema and operation files to your target

5. Create an `ApolloClient`

6. Fetch a query