GQL Operators

Operators are the building blocks of GQL expressions, enabling you to compare values, perform calculations, manipulate strings and lists, and construct complex query logic. Geode implements the complete ISO/IEC 39075:2024 operator specification. <h3 id="what-are-gql-operators" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> What are GQL Operators? <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="what-are-gql-operators" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: What are GQL Operators?"> 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; 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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>GQL operators are symbols and keywords that perform operations on values, properties, and expressions. They enable you to: <ul> <li>Compare: Test equality, inequality, and ordering relationships</li> <li>Combine: Build complex logical conditions with AND, OR, NOT</li> <li>Calculate: Perform arithmetic computations on numeric properties</li> <li>Manipulate: Transform strings, lists, and other data structures</li> <li>Navigate: Work with paths and relationships in graph traversals</li> </ul> <h3 id="comparison-operators" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Comparison Operators <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="comparison-operators" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Comparison Operators"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="equality-operators" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Equality Operators <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="equality-operators" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Equality Operators"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Equal to MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.age = 30 RETURN u // Not equal to MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.status <> 'inactive' RETURN u MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.status != 'inactive' RETURN u // Alternative syntax // IS NULL / IS NOT NULL MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.email IS NULL RETURN u MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.phone IS NOT NULL RETURN u </code></pre></div> <h4 id="ordering-operators" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Ordering Operators <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="ordering-operators" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Ordering Operators"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Less than MATCH (p:Product) WHERE p.price < 100 RETURN p // Less than or equal MATCH (p:Product) WHERE p.price <= 99.99 RETURN p // Greater than MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.age > 21 RETURN u // Greater than or equal MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.age >= 18 RETURN u </code></pre></div> <h4 id="range-comparisons" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Range Comparisons <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="range-comparisons" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Range Comparisons"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// BETWEEN (inclusive) MATCH (p:Product) WHERE p.price BETWEEN 50 AND 150 RETURN p // Equivalent to MATCH (p:Product) WHERE p.price >= 50 AND p.price <= 150 RETURN p </code></pre></div> <h4 id="pattern-matching" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Pattern Matching <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="pattern-matching" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Pattern Matching"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// IN operator (set membership) MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.role IN ['admin', 'moderator'] RETURN u // String pattern matching MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.email LIKE '%@example.com' RETURN u // Case-insensitive pattern matching MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.name ILIKE 'alice%' RETURN u // Regular expressions MATCH (p:Product) WHERE p.sku =~ '^PROD-[0-9]{4}$' RETURN p </code></pre></div> <h3 id="logical-operators" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Logical Operators <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="logical-operators" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Logical Operators"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="boolean-logic" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Boolean Logic <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="boolean-logic" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Boolean Logic"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// AND (conjunction) MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.age >= 18 AND u.verified = true RETURN u // OR (disjunction) MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.role = 'admin' OR u.role = 'moderator' RETURN u // NOT (negation) MATCH (u:User) WHERE NOT u.suspended RETURN u // XOR (exclusive or) MATCH (u:User) WHERE (u.has_email XOR u.has_phone) // One but not both RETURN u </code></pre></div> <h4 id="complex-conditions" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Complex Conditions <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="complex-conditions" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Complex Conditions"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Combining logical operators (precedence: NOT > AND > OR) MATCH (p:Product) WHERE (p.category = 'Electronics' AND p.in_stock = true) OR (p.category = 'Books' AND p.price < 20) RETURN p // Parentheses for explicit precedence MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.verified = true AND (u.age >= 18 OR u.parent_approved = true) RETURN u </code></pre></div> <h3 id="arithmetic-operators" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Arithmetic Operators <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="arithmetic-operators" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Arithmetic Operators"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="basic-arithmetic" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Basic Arithmetic <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-arithmetic" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Basic Arithmetic"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Addition MATCH (p:Product) RETURN p.name, p.price + p.tax AS total_price // Subtraction MATCH (p:Product) RETURN p.name, p.retail_price - p.wholesale_price AS margin // Multiplication MATCH (i:Item) RETURN i.name, i.price * i.quantity AS subtotal // Division MATCH (u:User) RETURN u.name, u.total_spent / u.order_count AS avg_order_value // Modulo (remainder) MATCH (n:Number) WHERE n.value % 2 = 0 // Even numbers RETURN n </code></pre></div> <h4 id="numeric-functions-with-operators" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Numeric Functions with Operators <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="numeric-functions-with-operators" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Numeric Functions with Operators"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Exponentiation RETURN 2 ^ 10 AS result // 1024 // Negation MATCH (t:Transaction) RETURN t.id, -t.amount AS reversal // Absolute value with expression MATCH (a:Account) RETURN a.id, ABS(a.balance - a.target) AS difference </code></pre></div> <h3 id="string-operators" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> String Operators <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="string-operators" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: String Operators"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="concatenation" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Concatenation <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="concatenation" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Concatenation"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// String concatenation with + MATCH (u:User) RETURN u.first_name + ' ' + u.last_name AS full_name // Concatenation with || MATCH (u:User) RETURN u.first_name || ' ' || u.last_name AS full_name </code></pre></div> <h4 id="string-comparison" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> String Comparison <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="string-comparison" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: String Comparison"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Starts with MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.email STARTS WITH 'admin' RETURN u // Ends with MATCH (f:File) WHERE f.name ENDS WITH '.pdf' RETURN f // Contains MATCH (p:Product) WHERE p.description CONTAINS 'wireless' RETURN p </code></pre></div> <h3 id="list-operators" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> List Operators <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="list-operators" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: List Operators"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="list-access" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> List Access <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="list-access" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: List Access"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Index access (zero-based) MATCH (u:User) RETURN u.tags[0] AS first_tag // Negative indexing (from end) MATCH (u:User) RETURN u.tags[-1] AS last_tag // Range slicing [start..end] MATCH (u:User) RETURN u.tags[1..3] AS middle_tags // Open-ended slicing MATCH (u:User) RETURN u.tags[2..] AS tail, // From index 2 to end u.tags[..2] AS head // From start to index 2 (exclusive) </code></pre></div> <h4 id="list-operations" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> List Operations <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="list-operations" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: List Operations"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// List concatenation MATCH (u:User) RETURN u.interests + ['reading', 'travel'] AS expanded_interests // IN operator (membership test) MATCH (u:User) WHERE 'admin' IN u.roles RETURN u // ALL predicate MATCH (u:User) WHERE ALL(tag IN u.tags WHERE LENGTH(tag) > 2) RETURN u // ANY predicate MATCH (p:Product) WHERE ANY(review IN p.reviews WHERE review.rating >= 4) RETURN p // NONE predicate MATCH (u:User) WHERE NONE(email IN u.emails WHERE email ENDS WITH '@spam.com') RETURN u // SINGLE predicate (exactly one match) MATCH (u:User) WHERE SINGLE(role IN u.roles WHERE role = 'admin') RETURN u </code></pre></div> <h3 id="path-operators" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Path Operators <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="path-operators" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Path Operators"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="path-construction" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Path Construction <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="path-construction" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Path Construction"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Path variable MATCH path = (a:User)-[:KNOWS*1..3]->(b:User) RETURN path // Path length MATCH path = (a)-[:KNOWS*]->(b) WHERE LENGTH(path) <= 3 RETURN path </code></pre></div> <h4 id="path-functions" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Path Functions <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="path-functions" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Path Functions"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Extract nodes from path MATCH path = (a:User)-[:KNOWS*]->(b:User) RETURN NODES(path) AS users_in_path // Extract relationships from path MATCH path = (a:User)-[r:KNOWS*]->(b:User) RETURN RELATIONSHIPS(path) AS connections // Path predicates MATCH path = (a:User)-[:KNOWS*]->(b:User) WHERE ALL(node IN NODES(path) WHERE node.active = true) RETURN path </code></pre></div> <h3 id="null-handling-operators" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Null Handling Operators <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="null-handling-operators" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Null Handling Operators"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="null-comparison" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Null Comparison <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="null-comparison" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Null Comparison"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// IS NULL MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.deleted_at IS NULL // Active users RETURN u // IS NOT NULL MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.email IS NOT NULL RETURN u // COALESCE (return first non-null) MATCH (u:User) RETURN u.nickname COALESCE u.username COALESCE 'Anonymous' AS display_name </code></pre></div> <h4 id="null-safe-operations" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Null-Safe Operations <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="null-safe-operations" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Null-Safe Operations"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Null-safe property access MATCH (u:User) RETURN u.profile?.bio // Returns null if profile is null // Null coalescing with default MATCH (p:Product) RETURN p.name, p.discount ?? 0.0 AS discount_rate </code></pre></div> <h3 id="type-operators" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Type Operators <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="type-operators" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Type Operators"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="type-checking" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Type Checking <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="type-checking" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Type Checking"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// INSTANCEOF (type checking) MATCH (n) WHERE n INSTANCEOF User RETURN n // Label checking MATCH (n) WHERE n:User OR n:Admin RETURN n // Property existence MATCH (n) WHERE EXISTS { (n)-[:HAS_PROPERTY]->() } RETURN n </code></pre></div> <h3 id="set-operators" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Set Operators <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="set-operators" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Set Operators"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="set-operations-on-results" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Set Operations on Results <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="set-operations-on-results" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Set Operations on Results"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// UNION (combine results, remove duplicates) MATCH (u:User) RETURN u.email UNION MATCH (a:Admin) RETURN a.email // UNION ALL (combine results, keep duplicates) MATCH (u:User) RETURN u.email UNION ALL MATCH (a:Admin) RETURN a.email // INTERSECT (common elements) MATCH (u:User) RETURN u.email INTERSECT MATCH (a:Admin) RETURN a.email // EXCEPT (difference) MATCH (u:User) RETURN u.email EXCEPT MATCH (b:Banned) RETURN b.email </code></pre></div> <h3 id="operator-precedence" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Operator Precedence <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="operator-precedence" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Operator Precedence"> Share link </button> </h3>From highest to lowest precedence: <ol> <li>Property access: <code>.</code>, <code>?.</code></li> <li>Unary operators: <code>+</code>, <code>-</code>, <code>NOT</code></li> <li>Exponentiation: <code>^</code></li> <li>Multiplicative: <code>*</code>, <code>/</code>, <code>%</code></li> <li>Additive: <code>+</code>, <code>-</code></li> <li>Comparison: <code>=</code>, <code><></code>, <code><</code>, <code>></code>, <code><=</code>, <code>>=</code>, <code>IN</code>, <code>LIKE</code>, <code>=~</code></li> <li>NOT</li> <li>AND</li> <li>XOR</li> <li>OR</li> </ol> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Example with precedence MATCH (p:Product) WHERE p.price * 1.1 > 100 AND p.in_stock = true OR p.preorder = true // Evaluates as: ((p.price * 1.1) > 100 AND p.in_stock = true) OR p.preorder = true // Use parentheses for clarity MATCH (p:Product) WHERE (p.price * 1.1 > 100) AND (p.in_stock = true OR p.preorder = true) </code></pre></div> <h3 id="advanced-operator-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Advanced Operator 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-operator-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Advanced Operator Patterns"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="conditional-expressions" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Conditional Expressions <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="conditional-expressions" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Conditional Expressions"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// CASE expressions MATCH (u:User) RETURN u.name, CASE WHEN u.age < 18 THEN 'minor' WHEN u.age < 65 THEN 'adult' ELSE 'senior' END AS age_group // Simple CASE (match against value) MATCH (o:Order) RETURN o.id, CASE o.status WHEN 'pending' THEN 'Processing' WHEN 'shipped' THEN 'In Transit' WHEN 'delivered' THEN 'Complete' ELSE 'Unknown' END AS status_display </code></pre></div> <h4 id="aggregation-with-operators" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Aggregation with Operators <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="aggregation-with-operators" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Aggregation with Operators"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Operators in aggregations MATCH (u:User)-[:PURCHASED]->(p:Product) RETURN u.name, COUNT(p) AS total_purchases, SUM(p.price * p.quantity) AS total_spent, AVG(p.price) AS avg_product_price </code></pre></div> <h4 id="subquery-operators" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Subquery Operators <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="subquery-operators" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Subquery Operators"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// EXISTS subquery MATCH (u:User) WHERE EXISTS { MATCH (u)-[:PURCHASED]->(p:Product) WHERE p.price > 1000 } RETURN u.name // NOT EXISTS MATCH (u:User) WHERE NOT EXISTS { MATCH (u)-[:LOGGED_IN]->() WHERE timestamp() - u.last_login < 86400000 } RETURN u AS inactive_users </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="indexed-operators" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Indexed Operators <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="indexed-operators" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Indexed Operators"> Share link </button> </h4>Operators that can use indexes for performance: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Equality on indexed property (fast) MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.id = 123 RETURN u // Range query on indexed property (fast with B-tree index) MATCH (p:Product) WHERE p.price BETWEEN 50 AND 150 RETURN p // Pattern matching (may use index) MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.email LIKE 'admin%' RETURN u // IN with small lists (can use index) MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.id IN [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] RETURN u </code></pre></div> <h4 id="operator-optimization" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Operator 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="operator-optimization" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Operator Optimization"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Avoid: expensive operations in loops MATCH (u:User)-[:FRIEND*1..5]-(f:User) WHERE LENGTH(u.bio) > 100 // Computed for every traversal step // Better: filter early MATCH (u:User) WHERE LENGTH(u.bio) > 100 MATCH (u)-[:FRIEND*1..5]-(f:User) RETURN f </code></pre></div> <h3 id="common-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Common 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-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Common Patterns"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="safe-navigation" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Safe Navigation <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="safe-navigation" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Safe Navigation"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Avoid null pointer errors MATCH (u:User) RETURN u.profile?.address?.city ?? 'Unknown' AS city </code></pre></div> <h4 id="multi-condition-filters" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Multi-Condition Filters <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-condition-filters" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Multi-Condition Filters"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Complex filtering MATCH (p:Product) WHERE p.price BETWEEN 50 AND 500 AND p.in_stock = true AND p.category IN ['Electronics', 'Computers'] AND p.rating >= 4.0 AND p.name =~ '.*laptop.*'i RETURN p ORDER BY p.price </code></pre></div> <h4 id="dynamic-property-access" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Dynamic Property Access <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="dynamic-property-access" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Dynamic Property Access"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Property name from variable MATCH (u:User) WITH u, 'email' AS prop_name RETURN u[prop_name] AS email_value </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>Use Parentheses: Make operator precedence explicit with parentheses</li> <li>Index-Friendly Operators: Structure queries to leverage indexes (=, <, >, BETWEEN)</li> <li>Early Filtering: Apply filters with indexed properties before expensive operations</li> <li>Null Safety: Always handle potential nulls with IS NULL, COALESCE, or ??</li> <li>Type Consistency: Ensure operands are compatible types (avoid comparing strings to numbers)</li> <li>Avoid Redundancy: Don’t repeat complex expressions; use WITH to assign to variables</li> <li>Test Precedence: Verify complex logical expressions with representative data</li> </ol> <h3 id="common-mistakes" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Common Mistakes <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-mistakes" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Common Mistakes"> Share link </button> </h3><ol> <li>Null Comparison with =: Use <code>IS NULL</code> not <code>= NULL</code></li> <li>Case Sensitivity: Remember <code>LIKE</code> is case-sensitive; use <code>ILIKE</code> for case-insensitive</li> <li>Integer Division: <code>5 / 2</code> returns <code>2</code>, use <code>5.0 / 2</code> for decimal result</li> <li>OR Precedence: <code>AND</code> binds tighter than <code>OR</code>; use parentheses</li> <li>Empty String vs Null: <code>''</code> is not the same as <code>NULL</code></li> </ol> <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>GQL Functions: Built-in functions complementing operators</li> <li>Data Types: Understanding type compatibility for operators</li> <li>Query Optimization: Optimize operator usage for performance</li> <li>Indexing: Create indexes for operator-based filtering</li> <li>GQL Syntax: Complete language syntax reference</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><a href="/tags/functions/" >GQL Functions</a> - Built-in functions and expressions</li> <li><a href="/tags/types/" >Data Types</a> - Type system and compatibility</li> <li><a href="/tags/gql-reference/" >GQL Reference</a> - Complete language documentation</li> <li><a href="/tags/performance/" >Query Performance</a> - Optimize operator usage</li> <li><a href="/tags/indexing/" >Indexing</a> - Index strategies for operator queries</li> </ul> Master operators to write expressive, performant GQL queries that unlock the full power of graph data analysis in Geode.

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