Batching requests for efficiencyfor Drupal 8 , 9 , 10 , and 11

Introduction

In the realm of headless Drupal, efficiency is key. Making multiple API requests can lead to excessive load times and high resource consumption. Batching requests allows you to combine multiple API calls into a single request, significantly improving efficiency. This lesson will guide you through the process of using batched requests, providing your application with enhanced performance and reduced latency.

Understanding Request Batching

Request batching involves aggregating multiple API requests into a single call, which is then processed by the server. By reducing the number of requests sent over the network, you can streamline data retrieval, optimize usage of resources, and significantly enhance response times.

Benefits of Batching Requests

Adopting request batching offers various advantages:

• Improved Performance: Reduces the number of HTTP calls, minimizing network latency and lowering server overhead.
• Resource Optimization: Decreases the consumption of network bandwidth and server processing resources.
• Simplified Error Handling: Allows for unified error handling for grouped API calls, helping streamline your backend code.

Implementing Batching in JSON:API

JSON:API operations, an extension of JSON:API in the Drupal community, supports request batching. Here's how to implement it:

1. Install JSON:API Operations Module:

   First, ensure the JSON:API Operations module is installed.

   # Use Composer to install:
   composer require drupal/jsonapi_operations
   # Enable the module:
   drush en jsonapi_operations
               

2. Structure Batched Requests:

   Create a JSON payload that includes multiple requests within a single JSON object.

   POST /jsonapi/operations?batch
   Headers:
     Content-Type: application/json
   Body:
   {
     "operations": [
       {
         "method": "GET",
         "path": "/jsonapi/node/article"
       },
       {
         "method": "GET",
         "path": "/jsonapi/node/blog_post"
       }
     ]
   }
               

3. Process Batched Responses:

   The server will respond with a combined output for all included operations. Implement logic on the client-side to handle and parse this response.

4. Manage Errors:

   Implement comprehensive error handling to manage different outcomes for each request within a batch.

   # Example error handling structure
   {
     "errors": [
       {
         "status": "404",
         "title": "Not Found",
         "detail": "The requested resource could not be found."
       }
     ]
   }
               

Example: Batching Blog and Article Content Retrieval

In an application requiring multiple types of content, you could batch retrieval like this:

POST /jsonapi/operations?batch
Headers:
  Content-Type: application/json
Body:
{
  "operations": [
    {
      "method": "GET",
      "path": "/jsonapi/node/article"
    },
    {
      "method": "GET",
      "path": "/jsonapi/node/blog"
    }
  ]
}
    

This setup efficiently retrieves both articles and blog nodes in one request, enhancing performance.

Conclusion

Batching requests in a headless Drupal setup optimizes both performance and resource usage, offering a significant boost in application responsiveness. By minimizing the number of API calls, you enhance the efficiency of data retrieval, providing a smoother experience for users and reducing the burden on your infrastructure.

What's Next?

Looking ahead, our next lesson will explore offloading API traffic to a Content Delivery Network (CDN), a powerful strategy for enhancing distribution and performance. Stay tuned as we continue optimizing your headless Drupal application!