Data Modeling

Data modeling in Geode translates your domain into an effective property graph structure. Learn to design nodes, relationships, properties, and labels that optimize both query performance and semantic clarity. This comprehensive guide covers production-proven modeling patterns, performance optimization strategies, and real-world design decisions for enterprise graph databases. <h3 id="graph-data-modeling-fundamentals" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Graph Data Modeling 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="graph-data-modeling-fundamentals" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Graph Data Modeling Fundamentals"> 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> <h4 id="property-graph-model" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Property Graph Model <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="property-graph-model" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Property Graph Model"> Share link </button> </h4>Geode implements the ISO GQL property graph model with four core elements: Nodes: Entities in your domain (users, products, locations, events). Relationships: Connections between entities with direction and type (PURCHASED, FOLLOWS, LOCATED_IN). Properties: Key-value attributes on nodes and relationships (name, price, timestamp). Labels: Tags that classify nodes into types (User, Product, Organization). <h4 id="modeling-principles" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Modeling Principles <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="modeling-principles" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Modeling Principles"> Share link </button> </h4><ol> <li>Nodes are nouns: Represent entities, concepts, or things</li> <li>Relationships are verbs: Represent actions, associations, or connections</li> <li>Properties are adjectives: Describe attributes of nodes and relationships</li> <li>Labels are categories: Group nodes by type or role</li> </ol> <h3 id="designing-nodes" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Designing Nodes <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="designing-nodes" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Designing Nodes"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="entity-nodes" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Entity Nodes <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="entity-nodes" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Entity Nodes"> Share link </button> </h4>Model domain entities as nodes: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// User entity INSERT (u:User { user_id: 'user_123', email: 'alice@example.com', name: 'Alice Johnson', created_at: datetime('2024-01-15T10:00:00'), verified: true }); // Product entity INSERT (p:Product { product_id: 'prod_456', name: 'Wireless Headphones', category: 'Electronics', price: 199.99, in_stock: true, stock_quantity: 45 }); // Organization entity INSERT (org:Organization { org_id: 'org_789', name: 'Acme Corp', industry: 'Technology', founded_year: 2015, employee_count: 250 }); </code></pre></div> <h4 id="multiple-labels" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Multiple Labels <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-labels" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Multiple Labels"> Share link </button> </h4>Nodes can have multiple labels for richer semantics: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Premium user with multiple roles INSERT (u:User:Premium:Admin { user_id: 'user_admin_1', name: 'Bob Smith', tier: 'premium', admin_level: 'super' }); // Query by specific combination MATCH (u:User:Premium) WHERE u.tier = 'premium' RETURN u.name, u.user_id; // Query by any label MATCH (admin:Admin) RETURN admin.name, admin.admin_level; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="value-nodes-vs-properties" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Value Nodes vs. Properties <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="value-nodes-vs-properties" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Value Nodes vs. Properties"> Share link </button> </h4>Decide when to use nodes vs. properties: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// ANTI-PATTERN: Category as property (limits queries) INSERT (p:Product { product_id: 'prod_123', category_name: 'Electronics', category_id: 'cat_456' // Duplicated across products }); // BETTER: Category as node (enables graph queries) INSERT (c:Category { category_id: 'cat_456', name: 'Electronics', description: 'Electronic devices and accessories' }); INSERT (p:Product { product_id: 'prod_123', name: 'Wireless Headphones' }); INSERT (p)-[:IN_CATEGORY]->(c); // Now can query category relationships MATCH (c:Category {name: 'Electronics'})<-[:IN_CATEGORY]-(p:Product) RETURN p.name, p.price; </code></pre></div>Use nodes when: <ul> <li>The value participates in relationships</li> <li>Multiple entities share the same value</li> <li>The value has its own attributes</li> <li>You need to query or traverse through the value</li> </ul> Use properties when: <ul> <li>The value is simple and specific to one entity</li> <li>The value doesn’t participate in relationships</li> <li>The value is frequently accessed with the entity</li> </ul> <h3 id="designing-relationships" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Designing Relationships <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="designing-relationships" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Designing Relationships"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="relationship-types" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Relationship Types <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="relationship-types" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Relationship Types"> Share link </button> </h4>Choose descriptive, action-oriented relationship types: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// E-commerce relationships INSERT (user:User {user_id: 'user_123', name: 'Alice'}) INSERT (product:Product {product_id: 'prod_456', name: 'Laptop'}) INSERT (cart:ShoppingCart {cart_id: 'cart_789'}) INSERT (user)-[:OWNS]->(cart) INSERT (cart)-[:CONTAINS]->(product) INSERT (user)-[:PURCHASED { timestamp: datetime('2025-01-24T10:30:00'), amount: 1299.99, quantity: 1 }]->(product) INSERT (user)-[:VIEWED { timestamp: datetime('2025-01-23T14:20:00'), duration_seconds: 145 }]->(product) INSERT (user)-[:RATED { score: 4.5, timestamp: datetime('2025-01-25T09:15:00'), review_text: 'Great laptop, highly recommended' }]->(product); </code></pre></div> <h4 id="relationship-direction" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Relationship Direction <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="relationship-direction" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Relationship Direction"> Share link </button> </h4>Choose directions that reflect domain semantics: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Social network: FOLLOWS is directional INSERT (alice:User {user_id: 'alice', name: 'Alice'}) INSERT (bob:User {user_id: 'bob', name: 'Bob'}) INSERT (alice)-[:FOLLOWS {since: datetime()}]->(bob); // Query followers MATCH (bob:User {user_id: 'bob'})<-[:FOLLOWS]-(follower) RETURN follower.name; // Query following MATCH (alice:User {user_id: 'alice'})-[:FOLLOWS]->(following) RETURN following.name; // Mutual follows (friends) MATCH (alice:User {user_id: 'alice'})-[:FOLLOWS]->(bob:User) MATCH (bob)-[:FOLLOWS]->(alice) RETURN bob.name AS mutual_friend; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="relationship-properties" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Relationship Properties <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="relationship-properties" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Relationship Properties"> Share link </button> </h4>Store metadata on relationships: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Transaction with rich metadata INSERT (sender:Account {account_id: 'acc_123'}) INSERT (receiver:Account {account_id: 'acc_456'}) INSERT (sender)-[:TRANSFERRED { transaction_id: 'tx_789', amount: 1500.00, currency: 'USD', timestamp: datetime('2025-01-24T15:30:00'), status: 'completed', fee: 2.50, description: 'Invoice payment', ip_address: '192.168.1.100', device_id: 'device_abc' }]->(receiver); // Query by relationship properties MATCH (sender:Account)-[t:TRANSFERRED]->(receiver:Account) WHERE t.amount > 1000 AND t.timestamp > datetime().minusDays(7) AND t.status = 'completed' RETURN sender.account_id, receiver.account_id, t.amount, t.timestamp; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="schema-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Schema 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="schema-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Schema Patterns"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="hub-and-spoke" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Hub and Spoke <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="hub-and-spoke" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Hub and Spoke"> Share link </button> </h4>Central node connected to many peripheral nodes: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Organization hub with employee spokes INSERT (org:Organization {org_id: 'org_123', name: 'Acme Corp'}) INSERT (alice:Employee {emp_id: 'emp_001', name: 'Alice'}) INSERT (bob:Employee {emp_id: 'emp_002', name: 'Bob'}) INSERT (carol:Employee {emp_id: 'emp_003', name: 'Carol'}) INSERT (alice)-[:WORKS_FOR {since: datetime('2020-01-15')}]->(org) INSERT (bob)-[:WORKS_FOR {since: datetime('2021-03-20')}]->(org) INSERT (carol)-[:WORKS_FOR {since: datetime('2019-11-10')}]->(org); // Query all employees of organization MATCH (org:Organization {org_id: 'org_123'})<-[:WORKS_FOR]-(emp:Employee) RETURN emp.name, emp.emp_id; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="hierarchies" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Hierarchies <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="hierarchies" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Hierarchies"> Share link </button> </h4>Model organizational or taxonomic hierarchies: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Category hierarchy INSERT (electronics:Category {cat_id: 'cat_001', name: 'Electronics'}) INSERT (computers:Category {cat_id: 'cat_002', name: 'Computers'}) INSERT (laptops:Category {cat_id: 'cat_003', name: 'Laptops'}) INSERT (desktops:Category {cat_id: 'cat_004', name: 'Desktops'}) INSERT (computers)-[:PARENT_CATEGORY]->(electronics) INSERT (laptops)-[:PARENT_CATEGORY]->(computers) INSERT (desktops)-[:PARENT_CATEGORY]->(computers); // Query entire hierarchy MATCH path = (leaf:Category {name: 'Laptops'})-[:PARENT_CATEGORY*]->(root) RETURN [n IN nodes(path) | n.name] AS hierarchy; // Query all subcategories MATCH (electronics:Category {name: 'Electronics'})<-[:PARENT_CATEGORY*]-(sub:Category) RETURN sub.name AS subcategory; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="bipartite-graphs" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Bipartite Graphs <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="bipartite-graphs" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Bipartite Graphs"> Share link </button> </h4>Model two distinct node types with relationships between them: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Users and products (recommendation system) INSERT (u1:User {user_id: 'u1', name: 'Alice'}) INSERT (u2:User {user_id: 'u2', name: 'Bob'}) INSERT (p1:Product {product_id: 'p1', name: 'Laptop'}) INSERT (p2:Product {product_id: 'p2', name: 'Mouse'}) INSERT (p3:Product {product_id: 'p3', name: 'Keyboard'}) INSERT (u1)-[:PURCHASED]->(p1) INSERT (u1)-[:PURCHASED]->(p2) INSERT (u2)-[:PURCHASED]->(p2) INSERT (u2)-[:PURCHASED]->(p3); // Find users who bought similar products MATCH (u1:User)-[:PURCHASED]->(p:Product)<-[:PURCHASED]-(u2:User) WHERE u1 <> u2 RETURN u1.name, u2.name, COLLECT(p.name) AS common_products; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="linked-list" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Linked List <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="linked-list" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Linked List"> Share link </button> </h4>Ordered sequences using relationships: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Order processing workflow INSERT (s1:WorkflowStep {step_id: 1, name: 'Order Received'}) INSERT (s2:WorkflowStep {step_id: 2, name: 'Payment Processed'}) INSERT (s3:WorkflowStep {step_id: 3, name: 'Order Packed'}) INSERT (s4:WorkflowStep {step_id: 4, name: 'Order Shipped'}) INSERT (s5:WorkflowStep {step_id: 5, name: 'Order Delivered'}) INSERT (s1)-[:NEXT_STEP]->(s2) INSERT (s2)-[:NEXT_STEP]->(s3) INSERT (s3)-[:NEXT_STEP]->(s4) INSERT (s4)-[:NEXT_STEP]->(s5); // Traverse workflow MATCH path = (start:WorkflowStep {step_id: 1})-[:NEXT_STEP*]->(end:WorkflowStep) RETURN [n IN nodes(path) | n.name] AS workflow_steps; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="temporal-modeling" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Temporal Modeling <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="temporal-modeling" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Temporal Modeling"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="time-stamped-relationships" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Time-Stamped Relationships <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="time-stamped-relationships" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Time-Stamped Relationships"> Share link </button> </h4>Track when relationships were created or modified: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Friendship with temporal data INSERT (alice:User {user_id: 'alice'}) INSERT (bob:User {user_id: 'bob'}) INSERT (alice)-[:FRIENDS_WITH { since: datetime('2020-05-15T10:00:00'), last_interaction: datetime('2025-01-20T14:30:00') }]->(bob); // Query recent friendships MATCH (u1:User)-[f:FRIENDS_WITH]->(u2:User) WHERE f.since > datetime().minusDays(30) RETURN u1.name, u2.name, f.since; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="valid-time-intervals" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Valid Time Intervals <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="valid-time-intervals" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Valid Time Intervals"> Share link </button> </h4>Model relationships that are valid for specific periods: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Employment history INSERT (employee:Person {person_id: 'p123', name: 'Alice'}) INSERT (company:Company {company_id: 'c456', name: 'Acme Corp'}) INSERT (employee)-[:EMPLOYED_BY { job_title: 'Senior Engineer', start_date: datetime('2020-01-01'), end_date: datetime('2023-06-30'), // NULL for current employment department: 'Engineering' }]->(company); // Query current employees MATCH (p:Person)-[e:EMPLOYED_BY]->(c:Company) WHERE e.end_date IS NULL OR e.end_date > datetime() RETURN p.name, e.job_title, c.name; // Query employment at specific time MATCH (p:Person)-[e:EMPLOYED_BY]->(c:Company) WHERE e.start_date <= datetime('2022-03-15') AND (e.end_date IS NULL OR e.end_date >= datetime('2022-03-15')) RETURN p.name, e.job_title, c.name; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="denormalization-for-performance" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Denormalization for 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="denormalization-for-performance" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Denormalization for Performance"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="caching-aggregates" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Caching Aggregates <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="caching-aggregates" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Caching Aggregates"> Share link </button> </h4>Store computed values for fast access: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// User node with cached statistics INSERT (u:User { user_id: 'user_123', name: 'Alice', // Cached aggregates total_purchases: 45, total_spent: 5432.10, last_purchase_date: datetime('2025-01-20T09:30:00'), favorite_category: 'Electronics' }); // Update cache when purchases occur MATCH (u:User {user_id: 'user_123'}) MATCH (p:Product {product_id: 'prod_456'}) INSERT (u)-[:PURCHASED { amount: 199.99, timestamp: datetime() }]->(p) SET u.total_purchases = u.total_purchases + 1, u.total_spent = u.total_spent + 199.99, u.last_purchase_date = datetime(); </code></pre></div> <h4 id="materialized-paths" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Materialized Paths <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="materialized-paths" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Materialized Paths"> Share link </button> </h4>Store paths for fast traversal: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Category with materialized path INSERT (c:Category { category_id: 'cat_laptops', name: 'Laptops', path: '/Electronics/Computers/Laptops', // Materialized path depth: 3 }); // Fast ancestor queries using path MATCH (c:Category) WHERE c.path STARTS WITH '/Electronics/Computers/' RETURN c.name, c.depth; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="anti-patterns-to-avoid" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Anti-Patterns to Avoid <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="anti-patterns-to-avoid" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Anti-Patterns to Avoid"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="1-overly-deep-hierarchies" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 1. Overly Deep Hierarchies <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="1-overly-deep-hierarchies" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: 1. Overly Deep Hierarchies"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// ANTI-PATTERN: 10+ levels deep MATCH (leaf)-[:PARENT*15]->(root) // Slow! // BETTER: Limit depth or use materialized paths MATCH (leaf {path: '/root/...'})-[:PARENT*0..3]->(ancestor) </code></pre></div> <h4 id="2-dense-nodes-super-nodes" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 2. Dense Nodes (Super Nodes) <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="2-dense-nodes-super-nodes" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: 2. Dense Nodes (Super Nodes)"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// ANTI-PATTERN: Node with millions of relationships INSERT (popular_user:User {user_id: 'celebrity'}) // ... connected to 10 million followers // BETTER: Add intermediate grouping nodes INSERT (celebrity:User {user_id: 'celebrity'}) INSERT (group1:FollowerGroup {group_id: 'g1', range: '0-100000'}) INSERT (group2:FollowerGroup {group_id: 'g2', range: '100001-200000'}) INSERT (celebrity)-[:HAS_FOLLOWER_GROUP]->(group1) INSERT (celebrity)-[:HAS_FOLLOWER_GROUP]->(group2) // Distribute followers across groups </code></pre></div> <h4 id="3-redundant-relationships" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 3. Redundant Relationships <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="3-redundant-relationships" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: 3. Redundant Relationships"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// ANTI-PATTERN: Storing both directions INSERT (alice)-[:FRIENDS_WITH]->(bob) INSERT (bob)-[:FRIENDS_WITH]->(alice) // Redundant! // BETTER: Use one direction, query bidirectionally INSERT (alice)-[:FRIENDS_WITH]->(bob) // Query ignoring direction MATCH (alice:User {user_id: 'alice'})-[:FRIENDS_WITH]-(friend) RETURN friend.name; </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><ol> <li>Start Simple: Begin with core entities and relationships, add complexity as needed</li> <li>Model the Domain: Graph structure should reflect business concepts naturally</li> <li>Index Key Properties: Create indexes on properties used in lookups and filters</li> <li>Normalize Lookups: Use nodes for values that are queried or traversed</li> <li>Denormalize Reads: Cache aggregates for frequently accessed metrics</li> <li>Use Descriptive Names: Relationship types should clearly indicate purpose</li> <li>Consistent Naming: Follow naming conventions (snake_case for properties, UPPER_CASE for relationships)</li> <li>Limit Relationship Fan-Out: Avoid nodes with millions of relationships</li> <li>Version Your Schema: Track schema changes and support migrations</li> <li>Document Patterns: Maintain documentation of your modeling decisions</li> </ol> <h3 id="integration-with-geode-features" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Integration with Geode Features <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="integration-with-geode-features" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Integration with Geode Features"> Share link </button> </h3>Data modeling leverages: <ul> <li>Labels: Multiple labels per node for flexible categorization</li> <li>Properties: Rich property types (strings, numbers, dates, arrays, maps)</li> <li>Indexes: B-tree indexes on properties for fast lookups</li> <li>Constraints: Unique constraints and existence checks</li> <li>GQL Compliance: Standard ISO property graph model</li> </ul> <h3 id="production-modeling-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Production Modeling 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="production-modeling-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Production Modeling Patterns"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="multi-label-hierarchies" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Multi-Label Hierarchies <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-label-hierarchies" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Multi-Label Hierarchies"> Share link </button> </h4>Design flexible type hierarchies using multiple labels: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Content type hierarchy INSERT (article:Content:Article:Premium { content_id: 'article_123', title: 'Advanced Graph Modeling', author_id: 'author_456', word_count: 2500, access_level: 'premium' }); // Query flexibility MATCH (c:Content) RETURN COUNT(c); // All content MATCH (a:Article) RETURN COUNT(a); // Just articles MATCH (p:Premium) RETURN COUNT(p); // Premium content across types // Label-based access control MATCH (c:Content) WHERE 'Premium' IN labels(c) AND user.subscription = 'premium' OR NOT 'Premium' IN labels(c) RETURN c; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="bidirectional-relationship-modeling" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Bidirectional Relationship Modeling <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="bidirectional-relationship-modeling" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Bidirectional Relationship Modeling"> Share link </button> </h4>Choose between bidirectional and unidirectional relationships: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// APPROACH 1: Single directed relationship (recommended) INSERT (alice:User {id: 'alice'}) INSERT (bob:User {id: 'bob'}) INSERT (alice)-[:FRIENDS_WITH]->(bob); // Query in either direction MATCH (alice:User {id: 'alice'})-[:FRIENDS_WITH]-(friend) RETURN friend.name; // APPROACH 2: Symmetric relationships (use sparingly) INSERT (alice)-[:MARRIED_TO]->(bob) INSERT (bob)-[:MARRIED_TO]->(alice); // Truly bidirectional </code></pre></div>Best Practice: Use single directed relationships with undirected queries (<code>-[:REL]-</code>) unless the relationship is fundamentally symmetric (marriage, equivalence). <h4 id="intermediate-nodes-for-complex-relationships" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Intermediate Nodes for Complex Relationships <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="intermediate-nodes-for-complex-relationships" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Intermediate Nodes for Complex Relationships"> Share link </button> </h4>Model many-to-many relationships with rich metadata: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// ANTI-PATTERN: Properties on direct relationship INSERT (student:Student {id: 's123'})-[:ENROLLED_IN { semester: 'Fall 2024', grade: 'A', credits: 3, attendance_rate: 0.95 }]->(course:Course {id: 'cs101'}); // BETTER: Intermediate enrollment node INSERT (student:Student {id: 's123'}) INSERT (course:Course {id: 'cs101'}) INSERT (enrollment:Enrollment { enrollment_id: 'enr_789', semester: 'Fall 2024', grade: 'A', credits: 3, attendance_rate: 0.95 }) INSERT (student)-[:HAS_ENROLLMENT]->(enrollment) INSERT (enrollment)-[:FOR_COURSE]->(course); // Now can query enrollments as first-class entities MATCH (e:Enrollment) WHERE e.semester = 'Fall 2024' AND e.grade IN ['A', 'A+'] RETURN COUNT(e) AS honor_roll_students; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="advanced-temporal-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Advanced Temporal 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="advanced-temporal-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Advanced Temporal Patterns"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="bi-temporal-modeling" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Bi-Temporal Modeling <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="bi-temporal-modeling" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Bi-Temporal Modeling"> Share link </button> </h4>Track both valid time (when fact was true) and transaction time (when we knew about it): <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Bi-temporal employment record INSERT (person:Person {person_id: 'p123', name: 'Alice'}) INSERT (company:Company {company_id: 'c456', name: 'Acme Corp'}) INSERT (person)-[:EMPLOYED_BY { valid_from: datetime('2020-01-01'), // When employment started valid_to: datetime('2023-06-30'), // When employment ended tx_from: datetime('2020-01-05'), // When we recorded start tx_to: datetime('2023-07-15'), // When we recorded end job_title: 'Senior Engineer', salary: 125000, department: 'Engineering' }]->(company); // Query: Who was employed on 2022-03-15? MATCH (p:Person)-[e:EMPLOYED_BY]->(c:Company) WHERE e.valid_from <= datetime('2022-03-15') AND (e.valid_to IS NULL OR e.valid_to >= datetime('2022-03-15')) RETURN p.name, e.job_title, c.name; // Query: What did we know about employment on 2023-07-01? MATCH (p:Person)-[e:EMPLOYED_BY]->(c:Company) WHERE e.tx_from <= datetime('2023-07-01') AND (e.tx_to IS NULL OR e.tx_to >= datetime('2023-07-01')) RETURN p.name, e.job_title, c.name; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="event-sourcing-pattern" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Event Sourcing Pattern <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="event-sourcing-pattern" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Event Sourcing Pattern"> Share link </button> </h4>Store state changes as immutable events: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Event stream for account balance INSERT (account:Account {account_id: 'acc_123', current_balance: 0}) INSERT (event1:AccountEvent { event_id: 'evt_001', event_type: 'AccountOpened', timestamp: datetime('2024-01-01T10:00:00'), data: {initial_balance: 1000} }) INSERT (account)-[:HAS_EVENT {sequence: 1}]->(event1) INSERT (event2:AccountEvent { event_id: 'evt_002', event_type: 'DepositMade', timestamp: datetime('2024-01-15T14:30:00'), data: {amount: 500, source: 'wire_transfer'} }) INSERT (account)-[:HAS_EVENT {sequence: 2}]->(event2) INSERT (event3:AccountEvent { event_id: 'evt_003', event_type: 'WithdrawalMade', timestamp: datetime('2024-01-20T09:15:00'), data: {amount: 200, destination: 'check_1001'} }) INSERT (account)-[:HAS_EVENT {sequence: 3}]->(event3); // Rebuild current state from events MATCH (a:Account {account_id: 'acc_123'})-[he:HAS_EVENT]->(e:AccountEvent) WITH a, e ORDER BY he.sequence WITH a, COLLECT(e) AS events RETURN a.account_id, REDUCE(balance = 0, evt IN events | CASE evt.event_type WHEN 'AccountOpened' THEN evt.data.initial_balance WHEN 'DepositMade' THEN balance + evt.data.amount WHEN 'WithdrawalMade' THEN balance - evt.data.amount ELSE balance END ) AS calculated_balance; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="performance-driven-modeling" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Performance-Driven Modeling <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-driven-modeling" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Performance-Driven Modeling"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="strategic-denormalization" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Strategic Denormalization <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="strategic-denormalization" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Strategic Denormalization"> Share link </button> </h4>Cache computed values for fast reads: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// User node with cached statistics INSERT (u:User { user_id: 'user_123', name: 'Alice Johnson', email: 'alice@example.com', created_at: datetime('2020-01-15T10:00:00'), // Denormalized aggregates (updated via triggers/app logic) total_posts: 0, total_followers: 0, total_following: 0, avg_post_engagement: 0.0, last_post_date: NULL, reputation_score: 100 }); // Update trigger pseudocode (application logic) // When user creates post: MATCH (u:User {user_id: $user_id}) MATCH (p:Post {post_id: $new_post_id}) INSERT (u)-[:POSTED {timestamp: datetime()}]->(p) SET u.total_posts = u.total_posts + 1, u.last_post_date = datetime(); // Fast dashboard query (no aggregation needed) MATCH (u:User {user_id: $user_id}) RETURN u.name, u.total_posts, u.total_followers, u.reputation_score; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="locality-optimization" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Locality Optimization <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="locality-optimization" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Locality Optimization"> Share link </button> </h4>Co-locate frequently accessed data: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Embed small, static reference data INSERT (order:Order { order_id: 'ord_123', customer_id: 'cust_456', // Embedded shipping address (snapshot at order time) shipping_address: { street: '123 Main St', city: 'Springfield', state: 'IL', zip: '62701', country: 'USA' }, // Embedded line items (small, fixed list) items: [ {product_id: 'prod_789', name: 'Widget', quantity: 2, price: 19.99}, {product_id: 'prod_012', name: 'Gadget', quantity: 1, price: 49.99} ], total: 89.97, status: 'shipped', created_at: datetime() }); // Single-node query for complete order MATCH (o:Order {order_id: 'ord_123'}) RETURN o; // No joins needed for order display </code></pre></div> <h4 id="relationship-fanout-management" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Relationship Fanout Management <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="relationship-fanout-management" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Relationship Fanout Management"> Share link </button> </h4>Handle high-degree nodes: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// PROBLEM: Celebrity user with millions of followers (super node) INSERT (celebrity:User {user_id: 'celeb_001', name: 'Famous Person'}) // ... 10 million follower relationships // SOLUTION 1: Follower buckets INSERT (celebrity:User {user_id: 'celeb_001'}) INSERT (bucket1:FollowerBucket { bucket_id: 'bucket_001', user_id: 'celeb_001', range_start: 0, range_end: 99999, follower_count: 100000 }) INSERT (bucket2:FollowerBucket { bucket_id: 'bucket_002', user_id: 'celeb_001', range_start: 100000, range_end: 199999, follower_count: 100000 }) INSERT (celebrity)-[:HAS_FOLLOWER_BUCKET]->(bucket1) INSERT (celebrity)-[:HAS_FOLLOWER_BUCKET]->(bucket2); // Distribute followers across buckets INSERT (follower1:User {user_id: 'user_001'}) INSERT (follower1)-[:FOLLOWS]->(bucket1) // Not directly to celebrity INSERT (bucket1)-[:REPRESENTS_USER]->(celebrity); // SOLUTION 2: Aggregation node INSERT (celebrity)-[:FOLLOWER_COUNT {count: 10000000}]->(agg:FollowerAggregate); </code></pre></div> <h3 id="domain-specific-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Domain-Specific 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="domain-specific-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Domain-Specific Patterns"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="social-network-modeling" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Social Network Modeling <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="social-network-modeling" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Social Network Modeling"> Share link </button> </h4>Complete social graph design: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Users with profiles INSERT (alice:User:Individual { user_id: 'alice_123', username: 'alice', display_name: 'Alice Johnson', email: 'alice@example.com', bio: 'Software engineer, graph database enthusiast', location: 'San Francisco, CA', website: 'https://alice.dev', verified: true, created_at: datetime('2020-05-15T10:00:00'), // Privacy settings profile_visibility: 'public', post_privacy_default: 'followers', // Cached counts follower_count: 0, following_count: 0, post_count: 0 }); // Follow relationships INSERT (alice)-[:FOLLOWS { since: datetime('2024-01-10T14:30:00'), notifications_enabled: true, relationship_strength: 0.8 // ML-computed }]->(bob:User {user_id: 'bob_456'}); // Posts with engagement INSERT (post:Post { post_id: 'post_789', content: 'Just learned about graph databases!', created_at: datetime('2024-01-20T09:00:00'), edited_at: NULL, visibility: 'public', // Cached metrics like_count: 0, comment_count: 0, share_count: 0, view_count: 0 }) INSERT (alice)-[:POSTED]->(post); // Interactions INSERT (bob)-[:LIKED {timestamp: datetime()}]->(post) INSERT (comment:Comment { comment_id: 'cmt_111', content: 'Great topic! Check out Geode.', created_at: datetime() }) INSERT (bob)-[:COMMENTED]->(comment) INSERT (comment)-[:ON_POST]->(post); </code></pre></div> <h4 id="e-commerce-modeling" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> E-Commerce Modeling <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="e-commerce-modeling" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: E-Commerce Modeling"> Share link </button> </h4>Complete product catalog and order system: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Product hierarchy INSERT (electronics:Category {cat_id: 'cat_001', name: 'Electronics'}) INSERT (computers:Category {cat_id: 'cat_002', name: 'Computers'}) INSERT (laptops:Category {cat_id: 'cat_003', name: 'Laptops'}) INSERT (computers)-[:SUBCATEGORY_OF]->(electronics) INSERT (laptops)-[:SUBCATEGORY_OF]->(computers); // Product with variants INSERT (product:Product { product_id: 'prod_123', name: 'UltraBook Pro', brand: 'TechCo', base_price: 1299.99, description: 'High-performance laptop', // SEO slug: 'ultrabook-pro', meta_description: 'Professional laptop for developers', // Inventory tracking total_stock: 0, // Sum of variant stock status: 'active' }) INSERT (product)-[:IN_CATEGORY]->(laptops); // Product variants INSERT (variant1:ProductVariant { variant_id: 'var_001', sku: 'ULTRA-16-512-SLV', attributes: { ram: '16GB', storage: '512GB SSD', color: 'Silver' }, price: 1299.99, stock: 25, weight_kg: 1.8 }) INSERT (variant2:ProductVariant { variant_id: 'var_002', sku: 'ULTRA-32-1TB-BLK', attributes: { ram: '32GB', storage: '1TB SSD', color: 'Black' }, price: 1799.99, stock: 15, weight_kg: 1.8 }) INSERT (product)-[:HAS_VARIANT]->(variant1) INSERT (product)-[:HAS_VARIANT]->(variant2); // Order with line items INSERT (order:Order { order_id: 'ord_456', customer_id: 'cust_789', status: 'processing', subtotal: 1299.99, tax: 104.00, shipping: 15.00, total: 1418.99, currency: 'USD', created_at: datetime(), // Payment info (reference) payment_method: 'credit_card', payment_id: 'pay_123', // Fulfillment shipping_method: 'standard', tracking_number: NULL }) INSERT (lineitem:OrderLineItem { line_id: 'line_001', variant_id: 'var_001', quantity: 1, unit_price: 1299.99, total: 1299.99 }) INSERT (order)-[:CONTAINS]->(lineitem) INSERT (lineitem)-[:FOR_VARIANT]->(variant1); </code></pre></div> <h3 id="schema-validation-and-constraints" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Schema Validation and Constraints <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="schema-validation-and-constraints" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Schema Validation and Constraints"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="comprehensive-constraint-design" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Comprehensive Constraint Design <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="comprehensive-constraint-design" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Comprehensive Constraint Design"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Node existence constraints CREATE CONSTRAINT ON (u:User) ASSERT EXISTS(u.user_id); CREATE CONSTRAINT ON (u:User) ASSERT EXISTS(u.email); CREATE CONSTRAINT ON (p:Product) ASSERT EXISTS(p.product_id); // Uniqueness constraints CREATE CONSTRAINT ON (u:User) ASSERT u.user_id IS UNIQUE; CREATE CONSTRAINT ON (u:User) ASSERT u.email IS UNIQUE; CREATE CONSTRAINT ON (p:Product) ASSERT p.sku IS UNIQUE; // Type constraints CREATE CONSTRAINT ON (u:User) ASSERT u.created_at IS :: DATETIME; CREATE CONSTRAINT ON (p:Product) ASSERT p.price IS :: FLOAT; CREATE CONSTRAINT ON (o:Order) ASSERT o.total IS :: DECIMAL(10,2); // Range constraints CREATE CONSTRAINT ON (u:User) ASSERT u.age >= 0 AND u.age <= 150; CREATE CONSTRAINT ON (p:Product) ASSERT p.price > 0; CREATE CONSTRAINT ON (r:Rating) ASSERT r.score BETWEEN 1 AND 5; // Pattern constraints CREATE CONSTRAINT ON (u:User) ASSERT u.email =~ '^[A-Za-z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Za-z0-9.-]+\\.[A-Za-z]{2,}$'; CREATE CONSTRAINT ON (p:Product) ASSERT u.sku =~ '^[A-Z0-9-]{6,20}$'; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="migration-and-evolution-strategies" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Migration and Evolution Strategies <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="migration-and-evolution-strategies" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Migration and Evolution Strategies"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="schema-versioning" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Schema Versioning <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="schema-versioning" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Schema Versioning"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Add new optional property (backward compatible) MATCH (u:User) SET u.timezone = 'UTC' WHERE u.timezone IS NULL; // Add new label to existing nodes MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.subscription_tier = 'premium' SET u:PremiumUser; // Migrate relationship types MATCH (a:User)-[old:FRIEND_OF]->(b:User) CREATE (a)-[new:FRIENDS_WITH {since: old.created_at}]->(b) DELETE old; // Add intermediate nodes MATCH (p:Person)-[emp:WORKS_FOR]->(c:Company) CREATE (p)-[:HAS_EMPLOYMENT]->(e:Employment { start_date: emp.start_date, end_date: emp.end_date, job_title: emp.title })-[:AT_COMPANY]->(c) DELETE emp; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="troubleshooting-common-modeling-issues" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Troubleshooting Common Modeling 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="troubleshooting-common-modeling-issues" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Troubleshooting Common Modeling Issues"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="diagnosing-schema-problems" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Diagnosing Schema Problems <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="diagnosing-schema-problems" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Diagnosing Schema Problems"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Find nodes without required properties MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.email IS NULL RETURN u.user_id, labels(u); // Find orphaned nodes (no relationships) MATCH (n) WHERE NOT EXISTS { MATCH (n)--() } RETURN labels(n) AS node_type, COUNT(n) AS orphan_count; // Identify super nodes (high degree) MATCH (n) WITH n, COUNT{MATCH (n)-[]-() } AS degree WHERE degree > 10000 RETURN labels(n), n.id, degree ORDER BY degree DESC; // Find duplicate data MATCH (u1:User), (u2:User) WHERE u1.email = u2.email AND u1.user_id < u2.user_id RETURN u1.user_id, u2.user_id, u1.email AS duplicate_email; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="related-topics-and-resources" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Related Topics and Resources <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="related-topics-and-resources" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Related Topics and Resources"> Share link </button> </h3>Data modeling integrates with: <ul> <li>Query Patterns: Design models that support efficient query patterns</li> <li>Indexing: Create indexes aligned with model access patterns</li> <li>Performance: Optimize model structure for query performance</li> <li>Constraints: Enforce data integrity through schema constraints</li> <li>Migrations: Evolve models safely in production</li> <li>GQL Standard: Follow ISO/IEC 39075:2024 property graph model</li> </ul> Browse the tagged content below to discover documentation, tutorials, and guides for designing effective graph data models in Geode.

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