Graph Data Modeling

<h2 id="graph-data-modeling-in-geode" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Graph Data Modeling in Geode <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-in-geode" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Graph Data Modeling in Geode"> Share link </button> </h2><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; 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Unlike relational modeling where you think in tables and joins, graph modeling focuses on entities and their connections, enabling more natural representation of real-world relationships. Geode implements the ISO/IEC 39075:2024 property graph model, providing a robust foundation for modeling complex, interconnected data. Effective graph modeling directly impacts query performance, data integrity, and application maintainability. <h3 id="understanding-the-property-graph-model" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Understanding the 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="understanding-the-property-graph-model" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Understanding the Property Graph Model"> Share link </button> </h3>The property graph model consists of three fundamental elements: Nodes: Represent entities or objects in your domain. Nodes can have labels (categories) and properties (attributes). Relationships: Connect nodes and represent how entities relate to each other. Relationships have types, direction, and can also have properties. Properties: Key-value pairs attached to nodes or relationships storing data attributes. <h4 id="basic-structure" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Basic Structure <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-structure" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Basic Structure"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Create a Person node with properties CREATE (p:Person { id: 'person_001', name: 'Alice Chen', email: 'alice@example.com', created_at: datetime() }); -- Create a Company node CREATE (c:Company { id: 'company_001', name: 'TechCorp', founded: DATE '2015-06-15' }); -- Create a relationship with properties MATCH (p:Person {id: 'person_001'}) MATCH (c:Company {id: 'company_001'}) CREATE (p)-[:WORKS_AT { role: 'Senior Engineer', start_date: DATE '2020-03-01', department: 'Engineering' }]->(c); </code></pre></div> <h3 id="core-modeling-principles" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Core 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="core-modeling-principles" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Core Modeling Principles"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="1-model-for-your-queries" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 1. Model for Your 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="1-model-for-your-queries" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: 1. Model for Your Queries"> Share link </button> </h4>Design your graph schema based on how you will query it. Understand your access patterns before committing to a model. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Query: "Find products a user might like based on purchase history" -- Model supports this pattern efficiently: MATCH (u:User {id: $user_id})-[:PURCHASED]->(p:Product) MATCH (p)-[:IN_CATEGORY]->(cat:Category) MATCH (other:Product)-[:IN_CATEGORY]->(cat) WHERE NOT (u)-[:PURCHASED]->(other) RETURN DISTINCT other.name, COUNT(cat) AS relevance ORDER BY relevance DESC LIMIT 10; -- The model enables: -- 1. Direct traversal from user to purchased products -- 2. Category-based product discovery -- 3. Filtering out already purchased items </code></pre></div> <h4 id="2-choose-appropriate-node-granularity" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 2. Choose Appropriate Node Granularity <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-choose-appropriate-node-granularity" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: 2. Choose Appropriate Node Granularity"> Share link </button> </h4>Determine what should be a node versus a property based on: <ul> <li>Is it referenced by multiple entities?</li> <li>Does it have its own relationships?</li> <li>Will it be queried independently?</li> <li>Does it have complex internal structure?</li> </ul> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- GOOD: Address as shared node (multiple people can live there) CREATE (addr:Address { id: 'addr_001', street: '123 Main Street', city: 'San Francisco', state: 'CA', zip: '94102' }); CREATE (alice:Person {name: 'Alice'})-[:LIVES_AT]->(addr); CREATE (bob:Person {name: 'Bob'})-[:LIVES_AT]->(addr); -- GOOD: Email as property (unique to person, no relationships) CREATE (charlie:Person { name: 'Charlie', email: 'charlie@example.com' }); -- AVOID: Storing structured data as a string property -- Bad: address_string: '123 Main St, SF, CA 94102' </code></pre></div> <h4 id="3-use-meaningful-relationship-types" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 3. Use Meaningful 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="3-use-meaningful-relationship-types" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: 3. Use Meaningful Relationship Types"> Share link </button> </h4>Relationship types should be specific, descriptive, and action-oriented: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- GOOD: Clear, specific relationship types (employee:Person)-[:WORKS_AT]->(company:Company) (customer:Customer)-[:PURCHASED]->(product:Product) (user:User)-[:FOLLOWS]->(other:User) (manager:Person)-[:MANAGES]->(team:Team) (article:Article)-[:CITES]->(reference:Article) -- AVOID: Generic, unclear relationships -- (entity1)-[:RELATED_TO]->(entity2) -- (node1)-[:HAS]->(node2) -- (a)-[:CONNECTS]->(b) </code></pre></div> <h4 id="4-consider-relationship-direction" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 4. Consider 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="4-consider-relationship-direction" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: 4. Consider Relationship Direction"> Share link </button> </h4>Choose direction that makes semantic sense and supports your queries: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Direction reflects real-world semantics (person:Person)-[:KNOWS]->(other:Person) -- Person knows another (child:Person)-[:PARENT_OF]->(parent:Person) -- Wait, this is wrong! (parent:Person)-[:PARENT_OF]->(child:Person) -- Correct direction -- Queries can traverse either direction MATCH (alice:Person {name: 'Alice'})-[:KNOWS]->(friend) RETURN friend.name; MATCH (bob:Person {name: 'Bob'})<-[:KNOWS]-(acquaintance) RETURN acquaintance.name; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="common-modeling-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Common 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="common-modeling-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Common Modeling Patterns"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="hierarchical-data" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Hierarchical Data <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="hierarchical-data" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Hierarchical Data"> Share link </button> </h4>Model tree structures using self-referencing relationships: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Organizational hierarchy CREATE (ceo:Employee {name: 'CEO', title: 'Chief Executive Officer'}); CREATE (vp_eng:Employee {name: 'VP Engineering', title: 'VP of Engineering'}); CREATE (vp_sales:Employee {name: 'VP Sales', title: 'VP of Sales'}); CREATE (lead:Employee {name: 'Tech Lead', title: 'Technical Lead'}); CREATE (dev1:Employee {name: 'Developer 1', title: 'Software Engineer'}); CREATE (dev2:Employee {name: 'Developer 2', title: 'Software Engineer'}); -- Reporting relationships CREATE (vp_eng)-[:REPORTS_TO]->(ceo); CREATE (vp_sales)-[:REPORTS_TO]->(ceo); CREATE (lead)-[:REPORTS_TO]->(vp_eng); CREATE (dev1)-[:REPORTS_TO]->(lead); CREATE (dev2)-[:REPORTS_TO]->(lead); -- Query: Find all reports (direct and indirect) for a manager MATCH (manager:Employee {name: 'VP Engineering'})<-[:REPORTS_TO*1..5]-(report) RETURN report.name, report.title; -- Query: Find management chain for an employee MATCH (emp:Employee {name: 'Developer 1'})-[:REPORTS_TO*1..10]->(manager) RETURN manager.name, manager.title; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="many-to-many-relationships" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Many-to-Many 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="many-to-many-relationships" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Many-to-Many Relationships"> Share link </button> </h4>Graphs naturally model many-to-many relationships without junction tables: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Students enrolled in courses CREATE (s1:Student {name: 'Alice', student_id: 'S001'}); CREATE (s2:Student {name: 'Bob', student_id: 'S002'}); CREATE (c1:Course {code: 'CS101', name: 'Intro to Computer Science'}); CREATE (c2:Course {code: 'MATH201', name: 'Linear Algebra'}); -- Enrollments with properties CREATE (s1)-[:ENROLLED_IN {semester: 'Fall 2025', grade: null}]->(c1); CREATE (s1)-[:ENROLLED_IN {semester: 'Fall 2025', grade: null}]->(c2); CREATE (s2)-[:ENROLLED_IN {semester: 'Fall 2025', grade: null}]->(c1); -- Query: Students in a specific course MATCH (s:Student)-[:ENROLLED_IN {semester: 'Fall 2025'}]->(c:Course {code: 'CS101'}) RETURN s.name, s.student_id; -- Query: Courses for a student MATCH (s:Student {name: 'Alice'})-[e:ENROLLED_IN]->(c:Course) RETURN c.code, c.name, e.semester; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="temporal-relationships" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Temporal 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="temporal-relationships" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Temporal Relationships"> Share link </button> </h4>Model time-varying relationships by adding temporal properties: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Employment history with date ranges CREATE (person:Person {name: 'Sarah'}); CREATE (company1:Company {name: 'StartupA'}); CREATE (company2:Company {name: 'BigCorp'}); CREATE (person)-[:WORKED_AT { role: 'Engineer', start_date: DATE '2018-01-15', end_date: DATE '2021-06-30' }]->(company1); CREATE (person)-[:WORKED_AT { role: 'Senior Engineer', start_date: DATE '2021-07-01', end_date: null -- Current job }]->(company2); -- Query: Current employment MATCH (p:Person {name: 'Sarah'})-[w:WORKED_AT]->(c:Company) WHERE w.end_date IS NULL RETURN c.name, w.role, w.start_date; -- Query: Employment on a specific date MATCH (p:Person {name: 'Sarah'})-[w:WORKED_AT]->(c:Company) WHERE w.start_date <= DATE '2020-06-01' AND (w.end_date IS NULL OR w.end_date >= DATE '2020-06-01') RETURN c.name, w.role; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="versioned-data" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Versioned Data <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="versioned-data" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Versioned Data"> Share link </button> </h4>Track changes over time with version nodes: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Product with version history CREATE (p:Product {id: 'prod_001', name: 'Widget Pro'}); -- Current version CREATE (v3:ProductVersion { version: 3, price: 29.99, description: 'Enhanced widget with new features', effective_date: DATE '2025-01-01' }); CREATE (p)-[:CURRENT_VERSION]->(v3); CREATE (p)-[:HAS_VERSION]->(v3); -- Historical versions CREATE (v2:ProductVersion { version: 2, price: 24.99, description: 'Improved widget', effective_date: DATE '2024-06-01' }); CREATE (p)-[:HAS_VERSION]->(v2); CREATE (v3)-[:PREVIOUS_VERSION]->(v2); CREATE (v1:ProductVersion { version: 1, price: 19.99, description: 'Original widget', effective_date: DATE '2024-01-01' }); CREATE (p)-[:HAS_VERSION]->(v1); CREATE (v2)-[:PREVIOUS_VERSION]->(v1); -- Query: Get current product info MATCH (p:Product {id: 'prod_001'})-[:CURRENT_VERSION]->(v) RETURN p.name, v.price, v.description; -- Query: Get version history MATCH (p:Product {id: 'prod_001'})-[:HAS_VERSION]->(v) RETURN v.version, v.price, v.effective_date ORDER BY v.version DESC; </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 events as nodes for complete audit trail: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Order events CREATE (order:Order {id: 'order_001', customer_id: 'cust_001'}); CREATE (e1:OrderEvent { event_type: 'CREATED', timestamp: datetime('2025-01-15T10:30:00Z'), data: '{"items": [{"sku": "PROD-1", "qty": 2}]}' }); CREATE (order)-[:HAS_EVENT]->(e1); CREATE (e2:OrderEvent { event_type: 'PAYMENT_RECEIVED', timestamp: datetime('2025-01-15T10:32:00Z'), data: '{"amount": 59.98, "method": "credit_card"}' }); CREATE (order)-[:HAS_EVENT]->(e2); CREATE (e2)-[:FOLLOWS]->(e1); CREATE (e3:OrderEvent { event_type: 'SHIPPED', timestamp: datetime('2025-01-16T14:00:00Z'), data: '{"tracking": "1Z999AA10123456784"}' }); CREATE (order)-[:HAS_EVENT]->(e3); CREATE (e3)-[:FOLLOWS]->(e2); -- Query: Order timeline MATCH (o:Order {id: 'order_001'})-[:HAS_EVENT]->(e) RETURN e.event_type, e.timestamp, e.data ORDER BY e.timestamp; -- Query: Current order state (latest event) MATCH (o:Order {id: 'order_001'})-[:HAS_EVENT]->(e) WHERE NOT EXISTS { (e)<-[:FOLLOWS]-() } RETURN e.event_type AS current_status; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="avoiding-common-antipatterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Avoiding Common Antipatterns <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="avoiding-common-antipatterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Avoiding Common Antipatterns"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="antipattern-1-super-nodes" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Antipattern 1: 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="antipattern-1-super-nodes" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Antipattern 1: Super Nodes"> Share link </button> </h4>Nodes with millions of relationships degrade performance significantly. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- PROBLEM: Country node connected to millions of users -- Every user query touching country is slow CREATE (usa:Country {name: 'United States'}); -- ... millions of (user)-[:LIVES_IN]->(usa) relationships -- SOLUTION 1: Use property + index instead CREATE INDEX idx_user_country ON User(country); CREATE (user:User {name: 'Alice', country: 'USA'}); -- SOLUTION 2: Add intermediate nodes CREATE (user:User {name: 'Alice'}); CREATE (city:City {name: 'Austin'}); CREATE (state:State {name: 'Texas', country: 'USA'}); CREATE (user)-[:LIVES_IN]->(city); CREATE (city)-[:IN_STATE]->(state); -- Query efficiently via city (smaller fan-out) MATCH (u:User)-[:LIVES_IN]->(c:City)-[:IN_STATE]->(s:State {country: 'USA'}) RETURN u.name, c.name; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="antipattern-2-lists-as-properties-instead-of-relationships" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Antipattern 2: Lists as Properties Instead of 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="antipattern-2-lists-as-properties-instead-of-relationships" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Antipattern 2: Lists as Properties Instead of Relationships"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- BAD: Storing related IDs as array property CREATE (user:User { id: 'user_001', friend_ids: ['user_002', 'user_003', 'user_004'] -- Anti-pattern! }); -- GOOD: Use actual relationships CREATE (u1:User {id: 'user_001'}); CREATE (u2:User {id: 'user_002'}); CREATE (u3:User {id: 'user_003'}); CREATE (u1)-[:FRIENDS_WITH]->(u2); CREATE (u1)-[:FRIENDS_WITH]->(u3); -- Now you can traverse naturally MATCH (u:User {id: 'user_001'})-[:FRIENDS_WITH*1..2]->(friend) RETURN DISTINCT friend.id; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="antipattern-3-redundant-derived-relationships" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Antipattern 3: Redundant Derived 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="antipattern-3-redundant-derived-relationships" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Antipattern 3: Redundant Derived Relationships"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- BAD: Creating relationships that can be derived CREATE (user)-[:LIVES_IN]->(city); CREATE (city)-[:IN_STATE]->(state); CREATE (user)-[:LIVES_IN_STATE]->(state); -- Redundant! Can be derived -- GOOD: Derive when needed MATCH (user:User {id: 'user_001'})-[:LIVES_IN]->(city)-[:IN_STATE]->(state) RETURN state.name; -- Exception: Denormalize for critical performance paths -- If this query runs millions of times per second, -- the direct relationship may be justified </code></pre></div> <h4 id="antipattern-4-over-generic-models" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Antipattern 4: Over-Generic Models <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="antipattern-4-over-generic-models" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Antipattern 4: Over-Generic Models"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- BAD: Too generic, loses semantic meaning CREATE (n1:Node {type: 'person', name: 'Alice'}); CREATE (n2:Node {type: 'company', name: 'TechCorp'}); CREATE (n1)-[:RELATES_TO {relation_type: 'works_at'}]->(n2); -- GOOD: Use specific labels and relationship types CREATE (alice:Person {name: 'Alice'}); CREATE (corp:Company {name: 'TechCorp'}); CREATE (alice)-[:WORKS_AT]->(corp); -- Specific labels enable: -- 1. Type-specific indexes -- 2. Clearer queries -- 3. Schema validation -- 4. Better query planning </code></pre></div> <h3 id="multi-label-modeling" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Multi-Label 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="multi-label-modeling" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Multi-Label Modeling"> Share link </button> </h3>Nodes can have multiple labels for different classifications: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Person with multiple roles CREATE (alice:Person:Employee:Manager { name: 'Alice Chen', employee_id: 'E001', hire_date: DATE '2020-01-15' }); -- Product with category labels CREATE (widget:Product:Electronics:Gadget { sku: 'GADGET-001', name: 'Smart Widget', price: 49.99 }); -- Query by any label MATCH (m:Manager) RETURN m.name, m.employee_id; MATCH (e:Electronics) WHERE e.price < 100 RETURN e.name, e.price; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="schema-design-strategies" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Schema Design 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="schema-design-strategies" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Schema Design Strategies"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="strategy-1-start-simple-evolve" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Strategy 1: Start Simple, Evolve <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="strategy-1-start-simple-evolve" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Strategy 1: Start Simple, Evolve"> Share link </button> </h4>Begin with a minimal model and add complexity as needed: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Phase 1: Basic structure CREATE (user:User {id: $id, name: $name, email: $email}); CREATE (product:Product {sku: $sku, name: $name, price: $price}); CREATE (user)-[:PURCHASED]->(product); -- Phase 2: Add categories CREATE (category:Category {name: $category_name}); CREATE (product)-[:IN_CATEGORY]->(category); -- Phase 3: Add reviews CREATE (review:Review { rating: $rating, comment: $comment, created_at: datetime() }); CREATE (user)-[:WROTE]->(review); CREATE (review)-[:REVIEWS]->(product); </code></pre></div> <h4 id="strategy-2-domain-driven-design" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Strategy 2: Domain-Driven 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="strategy-2-domain-driven-design" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Strategy 2: Domain-Driven Design"> Share link </button> </h4>Model bounded contexts as separate subgraphs: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Customer Context CREATE (customer:Customer:OrderContext {id: $id, name: $name}); -- Inventory Context CREATE (product:Product:InventoryContext {sku: $sku, stock: $qty}); -- Order Context CREATE (order:Order:OrderContext {id: $order_id, total: $total}); CREATE (customer)-[:PLACED]->(order); CREATE (order)-[:CONTAINS {quantity: $qty}]->(product); -- Cross-context references via IDs CREATE (customer:Customer {id: 'c001', inventory_customer_id: 'ic001'}); </code></pre></div> <h4 id="strategy-3-hybrid-approach" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Strategy 3: Hybrid Approach <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="strategy-3-hybrid-approach" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Strategy 3: Hybrid Approach"> Share link </button> </h4>Combine graph traversal with indexed lookups: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Index frequently filtered properties CREATE INDEX idx_user_email ON User(email); CREATE INDEX idx_product_sku ON Product(sku); CREATE INDEX idx_order_date ON Order(order_date); -- Combine indexed lookup with traversal MATCH (u:User {email: $email})-[:PURCHASED]->(p:Product) WHERE p.price > 100 RETURN p.name, p.price; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="performance-considerations" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Performance Considerations <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-considerations" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Performance Considerations"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="index-strategy" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Index Strategy <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-strategy" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Index Strategy"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Index properties used in WHERE clauses and lookups CREATE INDEX idx_person_name ON Person(name); CREATE INDEX idx_product_category_price ON Product(category, price); -- Use composite indexes for multi-property queries MATCH (p:Product) WHERE p.category = 'Electronics' AND p.price < 500 RETURN p.name; -- Uses composite index -- Full-text index for search CREATE FULLTEXT INDEX idx_product_search ON Product(name, description); </code></pre></div> <h4 id="query-patterns-to-optimize-for" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Query Patterns to Optimize For <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-patterns-to-optimize-for" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Query Patterns to Optimize For"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Pattern 1: Anchor on most selective criteria first MATCH (u:User {email: $email}) -- Indexed, unique MATCH (u)-[:PURCHASED]->(p:Product) RETURN p.name; -- Pattern 2: Limit variable-length paths MATCH (u:User {id: $id})-[:FOLLOWS*1..3]->(friend) -- Bounded depth RETURN DISTINCT friend.name; -- Pattern 3: Use OPTIONAL MATCH for sparse relationships MATCH (p:Product {sku: $sku}) OPTIONAL MATCH (p)<-[r:REVIEWS]-() RETURN p.name, COUNT(r) AS review_count; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="client-library-examples" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Client Library 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="client-library-examples" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Client Library Examples"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="python-client" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Python Client <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="python-client" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Python Client"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-python" data-lang="python">from geode_client import Client async def model_social_network(): client = Client(host="localhost", port=3141) async with client.connection() as conn: # Create users with relationships await conn.execute(""" CREATE (alice:User { id: $id, name: $name, email: $email, created_at: datetime() }) """, {'id': 'user_001', 'name': 'Alice', 'email': '[email protected]'}) await conn.execute(""" CREATE (bob:User { id: $id, name: $name, email: $email, created_at: datetime() }) """, {'id': 'user_002', 'name': 'Bob', 'email': '[email protected]'}) # Create follow relationship await conn.execute(""" MATCH (a:User {id: $follower_id}) MATCH (b:User {id: $followed_id}) CREATE (a)-[:FOLLOWS {since: datetime()}]->(b) """, {'follower_id': 'user_001', 'followed_id': 'user_002'}) # Query followers result, _ = await conn.query(""" MATCH (u:User {id: $id})<-[:FOLLOWS]-(follower) RETURN follower.name, follower.email """, {'id': 'user_002'}) for row in result.rows: print(f"Follower: {row['follower.name']}") </code></pre></div> <h4 id="go-client" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Go Client <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="go-client" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Go Client"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-go" data-lang="go">package main import ( "context" "database/sql" "log" _ "geodedb.com/geode" ) func modelProductCatalog(ctx context.Context, db *sql.DB) error { // Create product with category _, err := db.ExecContext(ctx, ` CREATE (p:Product { sku: $1, name: $2, price: $3, created_at: datetime() }) `, "PROD-001", "Widget Pro", 29.99) if err != nil { return err } // Create category relationship _, err = db.ExecContext(ctx, ` MATCH (p:Product {sku: $1}) CREATE (c:Category {name: $2}) CREATE (p)-[:IN_CATEGORY]->(c) `, "PROD-001", "Electronics") if err != nil { return err } // Query products by category rows, err := db.QueryContext(ctx, ` MATCH (p:Product)-[:IN_CATEGORY]->(c:Category {name: $1}) RETURN p.sku, p.name, p.price ORDER BY p.price `, "Electronics") if err != nil { return err } defer rows.Close() for rows.Next() { var sku, name string var price float64 rows.Scan(&sku, &name, &price) log.Printf("Product: %s - %s ($%.2f)", sku, name, price) } return nil } </code></pre></div> <h4 id="rust-client" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Rust Client <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="rust-client" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Rust Client"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-rust" data-lang="rust">use geode_client::{Client, Value}; async fn model_knowledge_graph(client: &Client) -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> { // Create entities client.execute( "CREATE (e:Entity {id: $id, name: $name, type: $type})", &[ ("id", Value::String("entity_001".into())), ("name", Value::String("Artificial Intelligence".into())), ("type", Value::String("Concept".into())), ], ).await?; client.execute( "CREATE (e:Entity {id: $id, name: $name, type: $type})", &[ ("id", Value::String("entity_002".into())), ("name", Value::String("Machine Learning".into())), ("type", Value::String("Concept".into())), ], ).await?; // Create relationship client.execute( r#" MATCH (parent:Entity {id: $parent_id}) MATCH (child:Entity {id: $child_id}) CREATE (child)-[:SUBSET_OF {confidence: $confidence}]->(parent) "#, &[ ("parent_id", Value::String("entity_001".into())), ("child_id", Value::String("entity_002".into())), ("confidence", Value::Float(0.95)), ], ).await?; // Query related concepts let results = client.query( r#" MATCH (e:Entity {id: $id})<-[:SUBSET_OF*1..3]-(related) RETURN related.name, related.type "#, &[("id", Value::String("entity_001".into()))], ).await?; for row in results.rows() { println!("Related: {:?}", row.get::<String>("related.name")?); } Ok(()) } </code></pre></div> <h3 id="best-practices-summary" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Best Practices Summary <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-summary" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Best Practices Summary"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="do" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Do <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="do" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Do"> Share link </button> </h4><ul> <li>Model for your queries first</li> <li>Use specific, meaningful relationship types</li> <li>Keep nodes focused (single responsibility)</li> <li>Index properties used in lookups</li> <li>Use multi-labels for cross-cutting concerns</li> <li>Consider temporal aspects early</li> <li>Test with realistic data volumes</li> </ul> <h4 id="avoid" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 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="avoid" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Avoid"> Share link </button> </h4><ul> <li>Super nodes with millions of relationships</li> <li>Storing IDs in array properties</li> <li>Over-generic models (everything is “Node”)</li> <li>Redundant derived relationships</li> <li>Deep nesting that could be flattened</li> <li>Ignoring cardinality patterns</li> </ul> <h3 id="related-topics" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Related Topics <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" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Related Topics"> Share link </button> </h3><ul> <li><a href="/tags/schema/" >Schema Design</a> - Database schema management</li> <li><a href="/tags/property-graph/" >Property Graph</a> - Property graph fundamentals</li> <li><a href="/tags/graph-model/" >Graph Model</a> - Graph modeling concepts</li> <li><a href="/tags/indexes/" >Indexes</a> - Index strategies and optimization</li> <li><a href="/tags/query-optimization/" >Query Optimization</a> - Query performance tuning</li> <li><a href="/tags/best-practices/" >Best Practices</a> - General best practices</li> </ul> <h3 id="further-reading" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Further Reading <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="further-reading" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Further Reading"> Share link </button> </h3><ul> <li>ISO/IEC 39075:2024 - Graph Query Language Standard</li> <li>Property Graph Model Specification</li> <li>Geode Schema Management Guide</li> <li>Query Optimization and Performance Tuning</li> <li>Data Migration and Schema Evolution</li> </ul> Browse tagged content for complete data modeling documentation and examples.

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