Create substrate-graphql-api.md

[justmert]

Project Abstract

GraphQL API for seamless Substrate blockchain interactions.

Grant level

• [ ] Level 1: Up to $10,000, 2 approvals
• [X] Level 2: Up to $30,000, 3 approvals
• [ ] Level 3: Unlimited, 5 approvals (for >$100k: Web3 Foundation Council approval)

Application Checklist

• [x] The application template has been copied and aptly renamed (project_name.md).
• [X] I have read the application guidelines.
• [X] Payment details have been provided (Polkadot AssetHub (USDC & DOT) address in the application and bank details via email, if applicable).
• [X] I understand that an agreed upon percentage of each milestone will be paid in vested DOT, to the Polkadot address listed in the application.
• [X] I am aware that, in order to receive a grant, I (and the entity I represent) have to successfully complete a KYC/KYB check.
• [X] The software delivered for this grant will be released under an open-source license specified in the application.
• [X] The initial PR contains only one commit (squash and force-push if needed).
• [X] The grant will only be announced once the first milestone has been accepted (see the announcement guidelines).
• [ ] I prefer the discussion of this application to take place in a private Element/Matrix channel. My username is: @_______:matrix.org (change the homeserver if you use a different one)

[github-actions[bot]]

CLA Assistant Lite bot All contributors have signed the CLA ✍️ ✅

[justmert]

I have read and hereby sign the Contributor License Agreement.

[PieWol]

Hey @justmert , thank you for applying to our Grants Program :)

On your LinkedIn it looks like you already have a full time position. Are you willing to work two FTE's simultaneously or is this project that you are trying to fund for your company ApeWorx?

After a few minutes of research I was able to find SubQuery and I'm surprised you didn't include it in the section of "comparable projects" in your application. To me it looks like SubQuery is already offering what you are proposing here. I would love to hear your thoughts on how you compare to them.

[justmert]

Hey @PieWol, thank you for your quick review :)

Actually this project is not affiliated with Apeworx. I am not employed by Apeworx; our arrangement is a contract-based agreement for the delivery of a specific project. Right now, we're only handling maintenance, so it's not a full-time arrangement. For this new project, however, I'll be working full-time.

Sorry to not include SubQuery, I was aware of it but I made direct comparison between project's direct counterpart substrate-rest-api project. Here's the comparison between this project and SubQuery:

1. Real-time vs Indexed Data:

   • This project provides data directly from a Substrate node.
   • SubQuery indexes blockchain data and serves it from a database.
   • Real-time data is useful for current information, while indexed data suits historical analysis.

2. Setup and Configuration:

   • This project offers setup with a configuration UI for quick developer onboarding.
   • SubQuery requires setting up an indexing project, allowing more customization but with added complexity.

3. Customization vs Standardization:

   • This project provides a standard API for common Substrate chain interactions.
   • SubQuery allows custom data models and queries, beneficial for specific project needs.

4. Resource Requirements:

   • This project has lower resource needs without a separate database.
   • SubQuery requires more resources for indexing but offers faster queries for large historical datasets.

5. Use Case Focus:

   • This project suits applications needing current Substrate data.
   • SubQuery is better for apps requiring historical data analysis or large data volume queries.

6. Learning Curve:

   • Developers familiar with GraphQL can use this project quickly.
   • SubQuery requires learning about indexing and custom mappings.

SubQuery is a great project but actually differs from this project a lot. We best compare this project with its counterpart substrate-api-sidecar which is a REST API service for Substrate nodes.

[PieWol]

Got it, thanks for clarifying.

[PieWol]

Hey @justmert , with your latest clarifications it does seem like there is nothing currently in the space which uses GraphQL to directly query nodes instead of indexers. I can't seem to find any evidence that this is actually needed and desired within the ecosystem. Given that your two previous grants (Dotly and PolkaFlow) became immediately stale once they were approved by W3F, I'm not hopeful that this very project will end any different. I'm sorry but just by these few but strong points I'm not fond of approving it. I'm open to revisit this in case you manage to provide evidence of demand for this tool. Maybe my colleagues have a different view on your application and I hope that they will provide some feedback or their decision soon. I already shared the application with the committee. Until then best wishes 🙏

[PieWol]

Hey @justmert , due to the aforementioned reasons the committee sadly wasn't convinced by your application. I will close this PR now. We appreciate the time and effort you put into this application.

Best of luck on your future endeavours. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.