apollo-server-lambda: JSON.parse errors when lambda event.isBase64Encoded=true

[gobengo]

Today I just started using apollo-server-lambda. It works pretty well, and my GET request resulted in the GraphiQL playground showing. However, the POST method requests were all failing due to an error in the backend. I could see in Cloudwatch that there was an error when apollo-server-lambda/src/lambdaApollo does JSON.parse(event.body).

For one reason or another, my event had event.isBase64Encoded === true, and the event.body was a long base64 encoded string (that decoded to JSON), not a JSON string.

I was able to work around this error by rewriting all base64-encoed events upstream using this 'middleware' before passing the event into the apollo-lambda-server ApolloServer handler.

PR: #2600

[gobengo]

PR: #2600

[abernix]

Interesting!

For one reason or another, my event had event.isBase64Encoded === true, and the event.body was a long base64 encoded string (that decoded to JSON), not a JSON string.

Do you have any idea how or why this is the case? Not to say that we can't accept the PR, but the need seems be a bit unsubstantiated / not fully understood. I'd like just like to understand the reasoning so we can make sure we account for it property going forward.

[gobengo]

It’s the case because that’s the event AWS handed to the lambda function. The http request itself originated from the GraphiQL playground that Apollo server renders. As for a how or why, I think AWS just reserves the right to decide arbitrarily how it translates incoming requests to lambda events.

…

Sent from my iPhone

On May 13, 2019, at 9:20 AM, Jesse Rosenberger ***@***.***> wrote: Interesting! For one reason or another, my event had event.isBase64Encoded === true, and the event.body was a long base64 encoded string (that decoded to JSON), not a JSON string. Do you have any idea how or why this is the case? Not to say that we can't accept the PR, but the need seems be a bit unsubstantiated / not fully understood. I'd like just like to understand the reasoning so we can make sure we account for it property going forward. — You are receiving this because you authored the thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or mute the thread.

[jlarmstrongiv]

@abernix Here’s one case I ran into: lambda@edge provides the Request Body as a base64 encoded string. I would love to have apollo-server-lambda automatically handle it.

[hsimah]

This issue stung me this weekend. I am building my first Apollo server app and want to stick it on a lambda. I followed the guide to the letter. When it deploys the IntrospectionQuery fires from the playground and the payload comes through as base64 encoded. I haven't looked into how or why, but applying this fix works, at least with the sample schema in the guide.

[2color]

I experienced the same problem and can confirm the associated PR #2600 resolves the problem.

[abernix]

Should hopefully be fixed in apollo-server-lambda@2.16.0 by #4311, which should be effectively the same as #2600.