AWS AppSync GraphQL - using union as mutation return causes error

Question

I'm creating a GraphQL schema using AWS AppSync and I want to use Union as mutation return. I'd like to write mutation this way:

mutation addUpdateTariff($tariff: TariffInput!, $seasonalTimeTariff: [SeasonalTimeTariffInput!]) {
  addUpdateTariff(tariff: $tariff, seasonalTimeTariff: $seasonalTimeTariff) {
    id
    type
    values {
      ... on SteppedTariff {
        endDate
      }
      ... on SeasonalTimeTariff {
        endDate
        peakConsumption
      }
    }
  }
}

But I'm getting this error:

Request failed with status code 400

The field values can be of the type SteppedTariff or SeasonalTimeTariff, depends the inputs of addUpdateTariff mutation. As far as I've searched, Union is only used in queries and I didn't find some documentation telling it cannot be used in a different way.

Am I missing something or I really cannot use Union this way?

Schema:

type Tariff {
  id: ID!
  type: TariffType!
  values: [TariffValue!]
}

type SteppedTariff {
  endDate: AWSDate
}

type SeasonalTimeTariff {
  endDate: AWSDate
  peakConsumption: Float
}

union TariffValue = SeasonalTimeTariff | SteppedTariff

Testing different schemas for Tariff values:

values: [String]

Query:

mutation addUpdateTariff($tariff: TariffInput!, $seasonalTimeTariff: [SeasonalTimeTariffInput!]) {
  addUpdateTariff(tariff: $tariff, seasonalTimeTariff: $seasonalTimeTariff) {
    id
    type
    values
  }
}

Response:

{
  "data": {
    "addUpdateTariff": {
      "id": "843eadcf-48bd-4d58-93ec-8bbe96db3635",
      "type": "SeasonalTime",
      "values": [
        "{endDate=2019-02-02}"
      ]
    }
  }
}

values: [SeasonalTimeTariff]

Query:

mutation addUpdateTariff($tariff: TariffInput!, $seasonalTimeTariff: [SeasonalTimeTariffInput!]) {
  addUpdateTariff(tariff: $tariff, seasonalTimeTariff: $seasonalTimeTariff) {
    id
    type
    values {
      endDate
    }
  }
}

Response:

{
  "data": {
    "addUpdateTariff": {
      "id": "7f77c5d9-2b06-4bb8-a678-10996addc4e1",
      "type": "SeasonalTime",
      "values": [
        {
          "endDate": "2019-02-02"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Nathan Quinn Nathan Quinn · Accepted Answer · 2019-07-11T19:49:08

You can definitely use Unions on the return types for mutations. Make sure you are including the field __typename on your values. Your resolver template should return something like this:

{
  "id": 1,
  "type": "?",
  "values": [
    {
      "__typename": "StepTariff",
      "endDate": "2019-01-01"
    },
    {
      "__typename": "SeasonalTimeTariff",
      "endDate": "2019-01-01",
      "peakConsumption": 1.0
    }
  ]
}

AWS AppSync GraphQL - using union as mutation return causes error

1 Answers