GraphQL - Get all fields from nested JSON object

I can do the second version, but it requires lots of extra code, including creating a NestedObjectType and specifying all the nested properties.

Do it! It will be great. That's the way to go in order to use GraphQL to its full potential.

Aside from preventing over-fetching, it also gives you a lot of other benefits like type validation, and more readable and maintainable code since your schema gives a fuller description of your data. You'll thank yourself later for doing the extra work up front.

If for some reason you really don't want to go that route though and fully understand the consequences, you could encode the nested objects as strings using JSON.stringify.

But like I said, I recommend you don't!

You may try to use scalar JSON type. You can find more here (based on apollographql).

• add scalar JSON to a schema definition;
• add {JSON: GraphQLJSON} to a resolve functions;
• use JSON type in a shema:

    scalar JSON
    type Query {
        getObject: JSON
    }

• an example of a query:

    query {
      getObject
    }

• a result:

    {
      "data": {
        "getObject": {
          "key1": "value1",
          "key2": "value2",
          "key3": "value3"
        }
      }
    }

Basic code:

    const express = require("express");
    const graphqlHTTP = require("express-graphql");
    const { buildSchema } = require("graphql");
    const GraphQLJSON = require("graphql-type-json");

    const schema = buildSchema(`
      scalar JSON

      type Query {
        getObject: JSON
      }
    `);

    const root = {
      JSON: GraphQLJSON,

      getObject: () => {
        return {
          key1: "value1",
          key2: "value2",
          key3: "value3"
        };
      }
    };

    const app = express();
    app.use(
      "/graphql",
      graphqlHTTP({
        schema: schema,
        rootValue: root,
        graphiql: true
      })
    );
    app.listen(4000);
    console.log("Running a GraphQL API server at localhost:4000/graphql");