Advanced GQL Query Patterns

<h3 id="overview" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Overview <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="overview" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Overview"> Share link </button> </h3><div id="headingShareModal" class="heading-share-modal" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" aria-labelledby="headingShareTitle" hidden> <div class="hsm-dialog" role="document"> <div class="hsm-header"> <h2 id="headingShareTitle" class="h6 mb-0 fw-bold">Share this section</h2> <button type="button" class="hsm-close" aria-label="Close"> </button> </div> <div class="hsm-body"> <label for="headingShareInput" class="form-label small text-muted mb-1 text-uppercase fw-bold" style="font-size: 0.7rem; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">Permalink</label> <div class="input-group mb-4 hsm-url-group"> <input id="headingShareInput" type="text" class="form-control font-monospace" readonly aria-readonly="true" style="font-size: 0.85rem;" /> <button class="btn btn-primary hsm-copy" type="button" aria-label="Copy" title="Copy"> </button> </div> <div class="small fw-bold mb-2 text-muted text-uppercase" style="font-size: 0.7rem; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">Share via</div> <div class="hsm-share-grid"> <a id="share-twitter" class="btn btn-outline-secondary w-100" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Twitter </a> <a id="share-linkedin" class="btn btn-outline-secondary w-100" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> LinkedIn </a> <a id="share-facebook" class="btn btn-outline-secondary w-100" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Facebook </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <style> .heading-share-modal { position: fixed; inset: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6); z-index: 1050; padding: 1rem; backdrop-filter: blur(4px); -webkit-backdrop-filter: blur(4px); } .heading-share-modal[hidden] { display: none !important; } .hsm-dialog { max-width: 420px; width: 100%; background: var(--bs-body-bg, #fff); color: var(--bs-body-color, #212529); border: 1px solid var(--bs-border-color, rgba(0,0,0,0.1)); border-radius: 1rem; box-shadow: 0 25px 50px -12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25); overflow: hidden; animation: hsm-fade-in 0.2s ease-out; } @keyframes hsm-fade-in { from { opacity: 0; transform: scale(0.95); } to { opacity: 1; transform: scale(1); } } [data-bs-theme="dark"] .hsm-dialog { background: #1e293b; border-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.1); color: #f8f9fa; } .hsm-header { display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center; padding: 1rem 1.5rem; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--bs-border-color, rgba(0,0,0,0.1)); background: rgba(0,0,0,0.02); } [data-bs-theme="dark"] .hsm-header { background: rgba(255,255,255,0.02); border-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.1); } .hsm-close { background: transparent; border: none; color: inherit; opacity: 0.5; padding: 0.25rem 0.5rem; border-radius: 0.25rem; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1; transition: opacity 0.2s; } .hsm-close:hover { opacity: 1; } .hsm-body { padding: 1.5rem; } .hsm-url-group { display: flex !important; align-items: stretch; } .hsm-url-group .form-control { flex: 1; min-width: 0; margin: 0; background: var(--bs-secondary-bg, #f8f9fa); border-color: var(--bs-border-color, #dee2e6); border-top-right-radius: 0; border-bottom-right-radius: 0; height: 42px; } .hsm-url-group .btn { flex: 0 0 auto; margin: 0; margin-left: -1px; border-top-left-radius: 0; border-bottom-left-radius: 0; height: 42px; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; padding: 0 1.25rem; z-index: 2; } [data-bs-theme="dark"] .hsm-url-group .form-control { background: #0f172a; border-color: #334155; color: #e2e8f0; } .hsm-share-grid { display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 0.5rem; } .hsm-share-grid .btn { display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; font-size: 0.9rem; padding: 0.6rem; border-color: var(--bs-border-color); width: 100%; } [data-bs-theme="dark"] .hsm-share-grid .btn { color: #e2e8f0; border-color: #475569; } [data-bs-theme="dark"] .hsm-share-grid .btn:hover { background: #334155; border-color: #cbd5e1; } </style> <script> (function(){ const modal = document.getElementById('headingShareModal'); if(!modal) return; const input = modal.querySelector('#headingShareInput'); const copyBtn = modal.querySelector('.hsm-copy'); const twitter = modal.querySelector('#share-twitter'); const linkedin = modal.querySelector('#share-linkedin'); const facebook = modal.querySelector('#share-facebook'); const closeBtn = modal.querySelector('.hsm-close'); let lastFocus=null; let trapBound=false; function buildUrl(id){ return window.location.origin + window.location.pathname + '#' + id; } function isOpen(){ return !modal.hasAttribute('hidden'); } function hydrate(id){ const url=buildUrl(id); input.value=url; const enc=encodeURIComponent(url); const text=encodeURIComponent(document.title); if(twitter) twitter.href=`https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=${enc}&text=${text}`; if(linkedin) linkedin.href=`https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=${enc}`; if(facebook) facebook.href=`https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=${enc}`; } function openModal(id){ lastFocus=document.activeElement; hydrate(id); if(!isOpen()){ modal.removeAttribute('hidden'); } requestAnimationFrame(()=>{ input.focus(); }); trapFocus(); } function closeModal(){ if(!isOpen()) return; modal.setAttribute('hidden',''); if(lastFocus && typeof lastFocus.focus==='function') lastFocus.focus(); } function copyCurrent(){ try{ navigator.clipboard.writeText(input.value).then(()=>feedback(true),()=>fallback()); } catch(e){ fallback(); } } function fallback(){ input.select(); try{ document.execCommand('copy'); feedback(true);}catch(e){ feedback(false);} } function feedback(ok){ if(!copyBtn) return; const icon=copyBtn.querySelector('i'); if(!icon) return; const prev=copyBtn.getAttribute('data-prev')||icon.className; if(!copyBtn.getAttribute('data-prev')) copyBtn.setAttribute('data-prev',prev); icon.className= ok ? 'fa-duotone fa-clipboard-check':'fa-duotone fa-circle-exclamation'; setTimeout(()=>{ icon.className=prev; },1800); } function handleShareClick(e){ e.preventDefault(); const btn=e.currentTarget; const id=btn.getAttribute('data-share-target'); if(id) openModal(id); } function bindShareButtons(){ document.querySelectorAll('.h-share').forEach(btn=>{ if(!btn.dataset.hShareBound){ btn.addEventListener('click', handleShareClick); btn.dataset.hShareBound='1'; } }); } bindShareButtons(); if(document.readyState==='loading'){ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', bindShareButtons); } else { requestAnimationFrame(bindShareButtons); } document.addEventListener('click', function(e){ const shareBtn=e.target.closest && e.target.closest('.h-share'); if(shareBtn && !shareBtn.dataset.hShareBound){ handleShareClick.call(shareBtn, e); } }, true); document.addEventListener('click', e=>{ if(e.target===modal) closeModal(); if(e.target.closest && e.target.closest('.hsm-close')){ e.preventDefault(); closeModal(); } if(copyBtn && (e.target===copyBtn || (e.target.closest && e.target.closest('.hsm-copy')))) { e.preventDefault(); copyCurrent(); } }); document.addEventListener('keydown', e=>{ if(e.key==='Escape' && isOpen()) closeModal(); }); function trapFocus(){ if(trapBound) return; trapBound=true; modal.addEventListener('keydown', f=>{ if(f.key==='Tab' && isOpen()){ const focusable=[...modal.querySelectorAll('a[href],button,input,textarea,select,[tabindex]:not([tabindex="-1"])')].filter(el=>!el.hasAttribute('disabled')); if(!focusable.length) return; const first=focusable[0]; const last=focusable[focusable.length-1]; if(f.shiftKey && document.activeElement===first){ f.preventDefault(); last.focus(); } else if(!f.shiftKey && document.activeElement===last){ f.preventDefault(); first.focus(); } } }); } if(closeBtn) closeBtn.addEventListener('click', e=>{ e.preventDefault(); closeModal(); }); })(); </script>This guide covers advanced GQL query patterns that enable sophisticated graph database operations beyond basic MATCH queries. Learn how to chain VALUES with MATCH, compose complex patterns, and build enterprise-grade graph queries. <h4 id="what-youll-learn" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> What You&rsquo;ll Learn <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="what-youll-learn" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: What Youll Learn"> Share link </button> </h4><ul> <li>VALUES → MATCH chaining for parameterized queries</li> <li>Complex pattern matching techniques</li> <li>Subquery composition and optimization</li> <li>Query rewriting patterns</li> <li>Best practices for performance</li> </ul> <h3 id="values-clause-fundamentals" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> VALUES Clause Fundamentals <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="values-clause-fundamentals" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: VALUES Clause Fundamentals"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="what-is-values" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> What is VALUES? <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="what-is-values" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: What is VALUES?"> Share link </button> </h4>The VALUES clause constructs a table of literal values that can be used as input for subsequent query clauses. Think of it as an inline table constructor. Basic Syntax: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">VALUES (expression AS alias [, ...]) [, (expression AS alias [, ...])] </code></pre></div> <h4 id="simple-values-query" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Simple VALUES Query <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="simple-values-query" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Simple VALUES Query"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Single row VALUES (1 AS x, 'Alice' AS name) -- Output: -- | x | name | -- |---|-------| -- | 1 | Alice | </code></pre></div>Multiple Rows: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">VALUES (1 AS id, 'Alice' AS name), (2 AS id, 'Bob' AS name), (3 AS id, 'Carol' AS name) -- Output: -- | id | name | -- |----|-------| -- | 1 | Alice | -- | 2 | Bob | -- | 3 | Carol | </code></pre></div> <h3 id="values--match-chaining" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> VALUES → MATCH Chaining <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="values--match-chaining" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: VALUES → MATCH Chaining"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="basic-chaining" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Basic Chaining <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="basic-chaining" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Basic Chaining"> Share link </button> </h4>Concept: Use VALUES to generate parameters, then feed them into MATCH for pattern matching. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">VALUES (1 AS search_id) MATCH (n:Person {id: search_id}) RETURN n.name, search_id -- How it works: -- 1. VALUES creates binding: search_id = 1 -- 2. MATCH uses search_id in pattern -- 3. Results include both matched node and VALUES binding </code></pre></div>Multiple Search Terms: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">VALUES (1 AS user_id), (2 AS user_id), (5 AS user_id) MATCH (u:User {id: user_id}) RETURN u.name, u.email, user_id </code></pre></div> <h4 id="values-in-where-clauses" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> VALUES in WHERE Clauses <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="values-in-where-clauses" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: VALUES in WHERE Clauses"> Share link </button> </h4>Threshold-Based Filtering: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">VALUES (10 AS min_price, 100 AS max_price) MATCH (p:Product) WHERE p.price >= min_price AND p.price <= max_price RETURN p.name, p.price ORDER BY p.price </code></pre></div>Date Range Queries: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">VALUES ( datetime('2026-01-01') AS start_date, datetime('2026-12-31') AS end_date ) MATCH (o:Order) WHERE o.created_date >= start_date AND o.created_date <= end_date RETURN count(o) AS order_count </code></pre></div> <h4 id="values-with-complex-expressions" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> VALUES with Complex Expressions <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="values-with-complex-expressions" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: VALUES with Complex Expressions"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">VALUES ( 1 + 1 AS computed_id, 'test' + '_suffix' AS label, datetime().subtract(P7D) AS week_ago ) MATCH (n:Node) WHERE n.count = computed_id AND n.label = label AND n.updated_at > week_ago RETURN n </code></pre></div> <h3 id="multi-row-values--match" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Multi-Row VALUES → MATCH <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="multi-row-values--match" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Multi-Row VALUES → MATCH"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="cartesian-product-behavior" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Cartesian Product Behavior <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="cartesian-product-behavior" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Cartesian Product Behavior"> Share link </button> </h4>When VALUES returns multiple rows, MATCH executes once per row, creating a cartesian product: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">VALUES (1 AS id), (2 AS id), (3 AS id) MATCH (u:User {id: id}) RETURN u.name, id -- Execution: -- Row 1: MATCH (u:User {id: 1}) → Returns User #1 -- Row 2: MATCH (u:User {id: 2}) → Returns User #2 -- Row 3: MATCH (u:User {id: 3}) → Returns User #3 -- Final result: 3 rows (one per VALUES row) </code></pre></div> <h4 id="in-clause-alternative" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> IN Clause Alternative <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="in-clause-alternative" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: IN Clause Alternative"> Share link </button> </h4>VALUES Pattern (recommended for complex queries): <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">VALUES ('Alice' AS name), ('Bob' AS name), ('Carol' AS name) MATCH (u:User {name: name}) RETURN u.email </code></pre></div>IN Clause Pattern (simpler for lists): <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.name IN ['Alice', 'Bob', 'Carol'] RETURN u.email </code></pre></div>When to Use Each: <ul> <li>VALUES: Complex expressions, multiple columns, need cartesian product</li> <li>IN: Simple list membership, single column</li> </ul> <h3 id="advanced-pattern-matching" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Advanced Pattern Matching <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="advanced-pattern-matching" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Advanced Pattern Matching"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="multi-hop-path-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Multi-Hop Path Patterns <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="multi-hop-path-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Multi-Hop Path Patterns"> Share link </button> </h4>Variable-Length Relationships: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Find all paths up to 3 hops MATCH p = (start:Person {name: 'Alice'})-[:KNOWS*1..3]->(end:Person) RETURN start.name, end.name, length(p) AS hops ORDER BY hops </code></pre></div>Shortest Path: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Find shortest path between two people MATCH p = shortestPath( (alice:Person {name: 'Alice'})-[:KNOWS*]-(bob:Person {name: 'Bob'}) ) RETURN [node IN nodes(p) | node.name] AS path_names, length(p) AS distance </code></pre></div> <h4 id="multiple-pattern-clauses" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Multiple Pattern Clauses <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="multiple-pattern-clauses" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Multiple Pattern Clauses"> Share link </button> </h4>Independent Patterns (cartesian product): <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">MATCH (a:Person {name: 'Alice'}) MATCH (b:Person {name: 'Bob'}) RETURN a.email, b.email -- Returns: 1 row (Alice, Bob) </code></pre></div>Dependent Patterns (chained): <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">MATCH (a:Person {name: 'Alice'}) MATCH (a)-[:KNOWS]->(friend) RETURN a.name, collect(friend.name) AS friends </code></pre></div> <h4 id="optional-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Optional Patterns <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="optional-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Optional Patterns"> Share link </button> </h4>OPTIONAL MATCH: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">MATCH (u:User) OPTIONAL MATCH (u)-[:HAS_ORDER]->(o:Order) RETURN u.name, count(o) AS order_count -- Users without orders return count = 0 </code></pre></div>Multiple OPTIONAL: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">MATCH (u:User) OPTIONAL MATCH (u)-[:PLACED]->(o:Order) OPTIONAL MATCH (u)-[:REVIEWED]->(r:Review) RETURN u.name, count(DISTINCT o) AS orders, count(DISTINCT r) AS reviews </code></pre></div> <h3 id="query-composition-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Query Composition Patterns <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="query-composition-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Query Composition Patterns"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="with-clause-for-pipeline-stages" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> WITH Clause for Pipeline Stages <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="with-clause-for-pipeline-stages" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: WITH Clause for Pipeline Stages"> Share link </button> </h4>Basic Pipeline: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Stage 1: Filter users MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.created_date > datetime().subtract(P30D) WITH u -- Stage 2: Get their orders MATCH (u)-[:PLACED]->(o:Order) WITH u, count(o) AS order_count -- Stage 3: Filter by order count WHERE order_count > 5 RETURN u.name, order_count </code></pre></div>Aggregation Pipeline: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">MATCH (p:Product)<-[:CONTAINS]-(o:Order) WITH p, count(o) AS sale_count, sum(o.quantity) AS total_sold WHERE sale_count > 100 WITH p, sale_count, total_sold ORDER BY total_sold DESC LIMIT 10 RETURN p.name, sale_count, total_sold </code></pre></div> <h4 id="subquery-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Subquery Patterns <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="subquery-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Subquery Patterns"> Share link </button> </h4>Correlated Subqueries (future GQL feature): <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Future: Subquery in WHERE MATCH (u:User) WHERE EXISTS { MATCH (u)-[:PLACED]->(o:Order) WHERE o.total > 1000 } RETURN u.name </code></pre></div>Current Workaround (WITH clause): <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">MATCH (u:User) OPTIONAL MATCH (u)-[:PLACED]->(o:Order) WHERE o.total > 1000 WITH u, count(o) AS high_value_orders WHERE high_value_orders > 0 RETURN u.name </code></pre></div> <h3 id="complex-filtering-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Complex Filtering Patterns <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="complex-filtering-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Complex Filtering Patterns"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="boolean-logic-composition" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Boolean Logic Composition <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="boolean-logic-composition" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Boolean Logic Composition"> Share link </button> </h4>AND/OR Combinations: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">MATCH (p:Product) WHERE (p.category = 'Electronics' AND p.price < 500) OR (p.category = 'Books' AND p.rating > 4.5) RETURN p.name, p.category, p.price </code></pre></div>NOT Patterns: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Find users without orders MATCH (u:User) WHERE NOT EXISTS { MATCH (u)-[:PLACED]->(o:Order) } RETURN u.name </code></pre></div> <h4 id="range-queries" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Range Queries <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="range-queries" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Range Queries"> Share link </button> </h4>Numeric Ranges: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">MATCH (p:Product) WHERE p.price BETWEEN 50 AND 150 RETURN p.name, p.price </code></pre></div>Date Ranges: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">MATCH (e:Event) WHERE e.date >= datetime('2026-01-01') AND e.date < datetime('2027-01-01') RETURN e.title, e.date </code></pre></div> <h3 id="aggregation-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Aggregation Patterns <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="aggregation-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Aggregation Patterns"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="group-by-implicit" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> GROUP BY (Implicit) <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="group-by-implicit" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: GROUP BY (Implicit)"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Group by category, aggregate sales MATCH (p:Product)<-[:CONTAINS]-(o:Order) RETURN p.category, count(o) AS order_count, sum(o.quantity) AS total_sold, avg(p.price) AS avg_price </code></pre></div> <h4 id="multiple-aggregation-levels" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Multiple Aggregation Levels <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="multiple-aggregation-levels" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Multiple Aggregation Levels"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Aggregate per product, then per category MATCH (p:Product)<-[:CONTAINS]-(o:Order) WITH p.category AS category, p, count(o) AS product_sales WITH category, count(p) AS product_count, sum(product_sales) AS category_sales, avg(product_sales) AS avg_per_product RETURN category, product_count, category_sales, avg_per_product ORDER BY category_sales DESC </code></pre></div> <h4 id="collect-for-list-aggregation" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> COLLECT for List Aggregation <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="collect-for-list-aggregation" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: COLLECT for List Aggregation"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Collect related items MATCH (u:User)-[:PLACED]->(o:Order) RETURN u.name, collect(o.id) AS order_ids, collect(o.total) AS order_totals, sum(o.total) AS lifetime_value </code></pre></div> <h3 id="performance-optimization-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Performance Optimization Patterns <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="performance-optimization-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Performance Optimization Patterns"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="index-friendly-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Index-Friendly Patterns <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="index-friendly-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Index-Friendly Patterns"> Share link </button> </h4>Use Indexed Properties: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- ✅ Good: Uses index on User.email MATCH (u:User {email: 'alice@example.com'}) RETURN u -- ❌ Bad: Full node scan MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.email = 'alice@example.com' RETURN u </code></pre></div>Label + Property Pattern: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- ✅ Optimal: Label filter + indexed property MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.email = 'alice@example.com' RETURN u -- Index: CREATE INDEX user_email_idx ON User (email) </code></pre></div> <h4 id="early-filtering" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Early Filtering <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="early-filtering" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Early Filtering"> Share link </button> </h4>Filter Before Expansion: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- ✅ Good: Filter first, then expand MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.active = true MATCH (u)-[:PLACED]->(o:Order) RETURN u.name, count(o) -- ❌ Bad: Expand all, then filter MATCH (u:User)-[:PLACED]->(o:Order) WHERE u.active = true RETURN u.name, count(o) </code></pre></div> <h4 id="limit-pushdown" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> LIMIT Pushdown <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="limit-pushdown" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: LIMIT Pushdown"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- ✅ Good: Limit early MATCH (p:Product) WHERE p.in_stock = true RETURN p.name ORDER BY p.price LIMIT 10 -- Query optimizer pushes LIMIT to scan </code></pre></div> <h3 id="error-handling-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Error Handling Patterns <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="error-handling-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Error Handling Patterns"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="null-handling" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> NULL Handling <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="null-handling" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: NULL Handling"> Share link </button> </h4>COALESCE for Defaults: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">MATCH (u:User) RETURN u.name, coalesce(u.phone, 'No phone') AS phone, coalesce(u.age, 0) AS age </code></pre></div>Null-Safe Navigation: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">MATCH (u:User) OPTIONAL MATCH (u)-[:HAS_ADDRESS]->(a:Address) RETURN u.name, CASE WHEN a IS NOT NULL THEN a.city ELSE 'Unknown' END AS city </code></pre></div> <h4 id="case-expressions" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> CASE Expressions <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="case-expressions" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: CASE Expressions"> Share link </button> </h4>Conditional Logic: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">MATCH (u:User) RETURN u.name, CASE WHEN u.order_count > 100 THEN 'VIP' WHEN u.order_count > 50 THEN 'Premium' WHEN u.order_count > 10 THEN 'Regular' ELSE 'New' END AS tier </code></pre></div> <h3 id="real-world-examples" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Real-World Examples <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="real-world-examples" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Real-World Examples"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="user-segmentation" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> User Segmentation <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="user-segmentation" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: User Segmentation"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Segment users by lifetime value MATCH (u:User)-[:PLACED]->(o:Order) WITH u, sum(o.total) AS ltv, count(o) AS order_count RETURN CASE WHEN ltv > 10000 THEN 'Diamond' WHEN ltv > 5000 THEN 'Platinum' WHEN ltv > 1000 THEN 'Gold' ELSE 'Silver' END AS segment, count(u) AS user_count, avg(ltv) AS avg_ltv, avg(order_count) AS avg_orders </code></pre></div> <h4 id="recommendation-engine" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Recommendation Engine <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="recommendation-engine" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Recommendation Engine"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Find similar products based on co-purchases MATCH (target:Product {id: 123})<-[:CONTAINS]-(o1:Order)-[:CONTAINS]->(other:Product) WHERE other.id <> target.id MATCH (other)<-[:CONTAINS]-(o2:Order) WITH other, count(DISTINCT o1) AS co_purchase_count, count(DISTINCT o2) AS popularity RETURN other.name, co_purchase_count, popularity, co_purchase_count * 1.0 / popularity AS relevance_score ORDER BY relevance_score DESC LIMIT 10 </code></pre></div> <h4 id="fraud-detection" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Fraud Detection <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="fraud-detection" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Fraud Detection"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Find suspicious patterns VALUES (datetime().subtract(PT1H) AS recent_time) MATCH (u:User)-[:PLACED]->(o:Order) WHERE o.created_date > recent_time WITH u, count(o) AS recent_orders, sum(o.total) AS recent_spend WHERE recent_orders > 10 OR recent_spend > 10000 MATCH (u)-[:HAS_PAYMENT]->(pm:PaymentMethod) RETURN u.email, recent_orders, recent_spend, collect(pm.type) AS payment_methods ORDER BY recent_spend DESC </code></pre></div> <h3 id="best-practices" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Best Practices <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="best-practices" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Best Practices"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="query-readability" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Query Readability <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="query-readability" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Query Readability"> Share link </button> </h4><ol> <li> Use Meaningful Aliases: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- ✅ Good MATCH (customer:User)-[:PLACED]->(order:Order) -- ❌ Bad MATCH (n)-[r]->(m) </code></pre></div></li> <li> Break Complex Queries into Stages: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- ✅ Good: Clear stages with WITH MATCH (u:User) WITH u, u.created_date AS join_date WHERE join_date > datetime().subtract(P30D) WITH u MATCH (u)-[:PLACED]->(o:Order) RETURN u.name, count(o) </code></pre></div></li> <li> Comment Complex Logic: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Find high-value customers from last quarter MATCH (u:User)-[:PLACED]->(o:Order) WHERE o.created_date >= startOfQuarter() WITH u, sum(o.total) AS quarterly_spend WHERE quarterly_spend > 5000 -- VIP threshold RETURN u.email, quarterly_spend </code></pre></div></li> </ol> <h4 id="performance" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Performance <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="performance" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Performance"> Share link </button> </h4><ol> <li> Use EXPLAIN to Validate: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">EXPLAIN MATCH (u:User {email: 'alice@example.com'}) RETURN u -- Verify index usage </code></pre></div></li> <li> Avoid Cartesian Products: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- ❌ Bad: Unintended cartesian MATCH (u:User) MATCH (p:Product) RETURN u, p -- ✅ Good: Explicit relationship MATCH (u:User)-[:PURCHASED]->(p:Product) RETURN u, p </code></pre></div></li> <li> Limit Result Sets: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Always use LIMIT for large result sets MATCH (n) RETURN n LIMIT 1000 </code></pre></div></li> </ol> <h3 id="troubleshooting" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Troubleshooting <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="troubleshooting" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Troubleshooting"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="common-issues" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Common Issues <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="common-issues" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Common Issues"> Share link </button> </h4>Issue: VALUES bindings not visible in MATCH Solution: Verify VALUES comes before MATCH in query order <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- ✅ Correct order VALUES (1 AS x) MATCH (n {id: x}) -- ❌ Wrong order MATCH (n {id: x}) VALUES (1 AS x) -- Too late! </code></pre></div><hr> Issue: Unexpected cartesian product Solution: Add explicit relationship patterns <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Instead of: MATCH (a:Person), (b:Person) -- Use: MATCH (a:Person)-[:KNOWS]-(b:Person) </code></pre></div><hr> Issue: Poor performance with complex patterns Solution: Use PROFILE to identify bottlenecks <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">PROFILE MATCH (a)-[:REL1]->(b)-[:REL2]->(c) WHERE a.prop = 'value' RETURN c </code></pre></div> <h3 id="references" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> References <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="references" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: References"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="specifications" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Specifications <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="specifications" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Specifications"> Share link </button> </h4><ul> <li>ISO/IEC 39075:2024: GQL Standard <ul> <li>VALUES clause specification</li> <li>Query composition rules</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h4 id="code-location" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Code Location <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="code-location" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Code Location"> Share link </button> </h4><ul> <li>Parser: <code>src/gql/parser.zig</code></li> <li>Execution: <code>src/execution.zig</code></li> <li>Spec: <code>docs/VALUES_MATCH_CHAINING_SPEC.md</code></li> </ul> <h3 id="next-steps" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Next Steps <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="next-steps" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Next Steps"> Share link </button> </h3>For New Users: <ul> <li><a href="/docs/gql/guide/" >GQL Guide</a> - Basic query syntax</li> <li><a href="/docs/query/performance-tuning/" >Query Optimization</a> - Performance tuning</li> <li><a href="/docs/model/data-model-and-types/" >Data Model</a> - Graph fundamentals</li> </ul> For Advanced Users: <ul> <li><a href="/docs/query/full-text-search/" >Full-Text Search</a> - Text search patterns</li> <li><a href="/docs/query/materialized-views/" >Materialized Views</a> - Pre-computed queries</li> <li><a href="/docs/analytics/real-time-analytics/" >Real-Time Analytics</a> - Streaming patterns</li> </ul> For Developers: <ul> <li><a href="/docs/guides/testing-strategies/" >Testing</a> - Query testing</li> <li><a href="/docs/reference/api-reference-complete/" >API Reference</a> - Complete GQL reference</li> <li><a href="/docs/client-libraries/go-client/" >Client Libraries</a> - Client integration</li> </ul> <hr> Document Version: 1.0 Last Updated: January 24, 2026 Status: Production Ready GQL Compliance: ISO/IEC 39075:2024 CANARY: REQ-GQL-VALUES-MATCH-001 (TESTED)