October 2018 Summaries

GROQ, Sanity's graph-oriented query language, enables rapid development with structured content by allowing instant queries on newly created backend documents without the need for schema definitions or resolvers. It is versatile, working with anything that supports HTTP and has clients in languages like JavaScript, PHP, and .NET. GROQ facilitates efficient data handling with features such as projections to limit data fetched, counting capabilities for instant data aggregation, and reference following to reduce API roundtrips. With projections, users can streamline queries by specifying only the necessary data, while counting functions provide immediate tallies of specified data types, and references allow seamless document linking within queries. These features, combined with GROQ's ability to perform calculations and geographic caching via CDN, make it a powerful tool for developers looking to optimize data queries and management.

The Sanity CLI tool is a versatile command-line interface used for managing content within the Sanity content management system, offering functionalities such as querying datasets directly from the terminal, exporting datasets into neat packages, and managing CORS settings. Users can query their data using specific commands to print data in the terminal, with options for syntax highlighting and exporting to CSV files. The tool allows for the export of entire datasets into .ndjson files, which can be imported back into new datasets after modifications. Additionally, it provides easy management of CORS settings via command line and offers a convenient way to list all projects linked to a user's account. One of the standout features is the ability to create and edit documents in a preferred editor directly from the terminal, with real-time syncing to the datastore, enhancing the workflow for developers who frequently interact with their content.