Property Graph Data Model

<h2 id="property-graph-data-model" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Property Graph Data 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-data-model" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Property Graph Data Model"> 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; 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>The property graph model is the most intuitive and widely-adopted approach to graph database modeling, combining the simplicity of labeled nodes and relationships with the flexibility of arbitrary properties. Geode’s implementation of the property graph model through the ISO/IEC 39075:2024 GQL standard provides a powerful foundation for modeling complex, connected data. <h3 id="understanding-property-graphs" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Understanding Property 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="understanding-property-graphs" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Understanding Property Graphs"> Share link </button> </h3>A property graph consists of nodes (vertices) and relationships (edges), where both can carry properties (key-value pairs). This model extends basic graph theory with labels for categorization and rich data attributes, making it ideal for real-world applications. <h4 id="core-elements" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Core Elements <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-elements" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Core Elements"> Share link </button> </h4>Nodes represent entities: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">(p:Person { id: 'u123', name: 'Alice Johnson', age: 30, email: 'alice@example.com', joined: DATE '2024-01-15' }) </code></pre></div>Relationships connect nodes with direction and type: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">(alice)-[:WORKS_AT { since: DATE '2022-03-01', role: 'Senior Engineer', department: 'Platform' }]->(company:Company) </code></pre></div>Properties store data on both nodes and relationships: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Node properties {name: 'Alice', age: 30, verified: true} -- Relationship properties {since: DATE '2022-03-01', strength: 0.85, context: 'professional'} </code></pre></div>Labels categorize nodes: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Single label (p:Person) -- Multiple labels (e:Person:Employee:Manager) </code></pre></div> <h3 id="key-characteristics" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Key Characteristics <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="key-characteristics" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Key Characteristics"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="1-directed-relationships" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 1. Directed 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="1-directed-relationships" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: 1. Directed Relationships"> Share link </button> </h4>All relationships in the property graph model have explicit direction, though queries can ignore direction when needed: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Directed relationship (alice:Person)-[:FOLLOWS]->(bob:Person) -- Alice follows Bob -- Query with direction MATCH (a:Person {name: 'Alice'})-[:FOLLOWS]->(followed) RETURN followed.name; -- Who Alice follows -- Query ignoring direction (bidirectional pattern) MATCH (a:Person {name: 'Alice'})-[:FOLLOWS]-(connected) RETURN connected.name; -- All connections regardless of direction </code></pre></div> <h4 id="2-typed-relationships" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 2. Typed 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="2-typed-relationships" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: 2. Typed Relationships"> Share link </button> </h4>Relationships always have a type, enabling multi-relational graphs: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Multiple relationship types between same nodes (alice:Person)-[:KNOWS]->(bob:Person) (alice)-[:WORKS_WITH]->(bob) (alice)-[:FOLLOWS]->(bob) -- Query specific relationship types MATCH (alice:Person {name: 'Alice'})-[:WORKS_WITH]->(colleague) RETURN colleague.name; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="3-properties-on-relationships" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 3. Properties on 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-properties-on-relationships" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: 3. Properties on Relationships"> Share link </button> </h4>Unlike simple graphs, property graphs allow rich data on relationships: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Relationship properties add context (user)-[:RATED { score: 4.5, timestamp: TIMESTAMP '2024-06-15 10:30:00', review: 'Great product!', verified_purchase: true }]->(product) -- Query by relationship properties MATCH (u:User)-[r:RATED]->(p:Product) WHERE r.score >= 4.0 AND r.verified_purchase = true RETURN p.name, avg(r.score) AS avg_rating GROUP BY p.name; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="4-schema-flexibility" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 4. Schema Flexibility <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-schema-flexibility" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: 4. Schema Flexibility"> Share link </button> </h4>Property graphs support schema-optional modeling: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Nodes of same label can have different properties INSERT (p1:Person {name: 'Alice', age: 30, email: 'alice@example.com'}); INSERT (p2:Person {name: 'Bob', age: 28}); -- No email INSERT (p3:Person {name: 'Charlie', age: 35, phone: '+1-555-0100'}); -- No email, has phone -- Query handles missing properties gracefully MATCH (p:Person) RETURN p.name, p.email; -- email is NULL for Bob and Charlie </code></pre></div> <h3 id="modeling-domain-data" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Modeling Domain 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="modeling-domain-data" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Modeling Domain Data"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="entity-identification" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Entity Identification <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-identification" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Entity Identification"> Share link </button> </h4>When to use nodes: <ul> <li>Thing exists independently</li> <li>Referenced by multiple entities</li> <li>Has its own relationships</li> <li>Queried directly</li> </ul> When to use properties: <ul> <li>Simple attribute value</li> <li>Not queried independently</li> <li>Unique to single entity</li> <li>No relationships of its own</li> </ul> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- GOOD: Address as node (shared, queryable) INSERT (addr:Address {street: '123 Main St', city: 'Austin', state: 'TX'}); INSERT (alice:Person {name: 'Alice'})-[:LIVES_AT]->(addr); INSERT (bob:Person {name: 'Bob'})-[:LIVES_AT]->(addr); -- Same address -- GOOD: Email as property (unique, simple) INSERT (charlie:Person {name: 'Charlie', email: 'charlie@example.com'}); -- BAD: Address as property (can't be shared) INSERT (dave:Person {name: 'Dave', address: '456 Oak St, Dallas, TX'}); </code></pre></div> <h4 id="relationship-modeling" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 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="relationship-modeling" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Relationship Modeling"> Share link </button> </h4>Choose meaningful, action-oriented relationship types: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- GOOD: Clear, specific relationships (person:Person)-[:WORKS_AT]->(company:Company) (user:User)-[:PURCHASED]->(product:Product) (employee:Employee)-[:REPORTS_TO]->(manager:Manager) (student:Student)-[:ENROLLED_IN]->(course:Course) -- BAD: Generic, unclear relationships (entity1)-[:RELATED_TO]->(entity2) (node1)-[:CONNECTED]->(node2) </code></pre></div> <h4 id="hierarchical-structures" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Hierarchical Structures <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-structures" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Hierarchical Structures"> Share link </button> </h4>Model trees and hierarchies naturally: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Organization chart INSERT (ceo:Employee {name: 'CEO', level: 1}); INSERT (vp_eng:Employee {name: 'VP Engineering', level: 2}); INSERT (eng_manager:Employee {name: 'Engineering Manager', level: 3}); INSERT (senior_dev:Employee {name: 'Senior Developer', level: 4}); INSERT (vp_eng)-[:REPORTS_TO]->(ceo); INSERT (eng_manager)-[:REPORTS_TO]->(vp_eng); INSERT (senior_dev)-[:REPORTS_TO]->(eng_manager); -- Query entire reporting chain MATCH path = (emp:Employee {name: 'Senior Developer'}) -[:REPORTS_TO*]->(ceo:Employee {level: 1}) RETURN path, length(path) AS levels_up; -- Find all direct and indirect reports MATCH (manager:Employee {name: 'VP Engineering'}) <-[:REPORTS_TO*]-(report:Employee) RETURN report.name, report.level ORDER BY report.level; </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>Property graphs handle many-to-many naturally without junction tables: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Students enroll in multiple courses; courses have multiple students INSERT (alice:Student {name: 'Alice'}); INSERT (bob:Student {name: 'Bob'}); INSERT (math:Course {name: 'Math 101', credits: 3}); INSERT (cs:Course {name: 'CS 101', credits: 4}); -- Direct relationships with enrollment data INSERT (alice)-[:ENROLLED_IN {semester: 'Fall 2024', grade: NULL}]->(math); INSERT (alice)-[:ENROLLED_IN {semester: 'Fall 2024', grade: NULL}]->(cs); INSERT (bob)-[:ENROLLED_IN {semester: 'Fall 2024', grade: NULL}]->(math); -- Query: all students in a course MATCH (s:Student)-[:ENROLLED_IN]->(c:Course {name: 'Math 101'}) RETURN s.name; -- Query: all courses for a student MATCH (s:Student {name: 'Alice'})-[:ENROLLED_IN]->(c:Course) RETURN c.name, c.credits; </code></pre></div> <h4 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> </h4>Model time-based relationships: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Historical relationships with time bounds INSERT (emp:Employment { position: 'Software Engineer', start_date: DATE '2020-01-15', end_date: DATE '2022-06-30', salary: 95000 }); INSERT (alice:Person {name: 'Alice'})-[:HAD_EMPLOYMENT]->(emp); INSERT (emp)-[:AT_COMPANY]->(company:Company {name: 'TechCorp'}); -- Current employment (end_date is NULL) INSERT (emp2:Employment { position: 'Senior Engineer', start_date: DATE '2022-07-01', end_date: NULL, salary: 125000 }); INSERT (alice)-[:HAD_EMPLOYMENT]->(emp2); INSERT (emp2)-[:AT_COMPANY]->(company2:Company {name: 'BigTech'}); -- Query current employer MATCH (p:Person {name: 'Alice'}) -[:HAD_EMPLOYMENT]->(emp:Employment {end_date: NULL}) -[:AT_COMPANY]->(company) RETURN company.name, emp.position; -- Query employment history MATCH (p:Person {name: 'Alice'}) -[:HAD_EMPLOYMENT]->(emp:Employment) -[:AT_COMPANY]->(company) RETURN company.name, emp.position, emp.start_date, emp.end_date ORDER BY emp.start_date DESC; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="advanced-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Advanced 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-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Advanced Patterns"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="reified-relationships-hyperedges" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Reified Relationships (Hyperedges) <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="reified-relationships-hyperedges" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Reified Relationships (Hyperedges)"> Share link </button> </h4>When relationships need their own relationships, convert them to nodes: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Problem: Can't attach relationships to relationships -- (alice)-[:WORKED_ON {role: 'Developer'}]->(project) -- How to represent that a manager approved this assignment? -- Solution: Reify the relationship as a node INSERT (assignment:Assignment { role: 'Developer', allocated_hours: 40, start_date: DATE '2024-01-15' }); INSERT (alice:Person)-[:ASSIGNED]->(assignment); INSERT (assignment)-[:TO_PROJECT]->(project:Project {name: 'WebApp'}); INSERT (manager:Person {name: 'Manager'})-[:APPROVED]->(assignment); INSERT (assignment)-[:APPROVED_AT {timestamp: CURRENT_TIMESTAMP}]->(approval:Approval); </code></pre></div> <h4 id="qualified-relationships" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Qualified 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="qualified-relationships" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Qualified Relationships"> Share link </button> </h4>Add context through properties: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Social network with relationship strength and context INSERT (alice)-[:KNOWS { strength: 0.85, context: 'work', since: DATE '2020-05-15', interactions_count: 47, last_interaction: TIMESTAMP '2024-06-10 14:30:00' }]->(bob); -- Query by relationship quality MATCH (a:Person {name: 'Alice'})-[k:KNOWS]->(friend) WHERE k.strength > 0.7 AND k.context = 'work' RETURN friend.name, k.strength, k.since ORDER BY k.strength DESC; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="super-node-avoidance" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Super Node Avoidance <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="super-node-avoidance" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Super Node Avoidance"> Share link </button> </h4>Avoid nodes with millions of relationships (performance bottleneck): <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- PROBLEM: Country node connected to millions of users -- INSERT (user1)-[:LIVES_IN]->(usa:Country); -- INSERT (user2)-[:LIVES_IN]->(usa:Country); -- ... millions more -- SOLUTION 1: Use property instead INSERT (user:User {name: 'Alice', country: 'USA'}); CREATE INDEX user_country ON User(country); MATCH (u:User {country: 'USA'}) RETURN count(u); -- SOLUTION 2: Introduce intermediate nodes INSERT (user)-[:LIVES_IN]->(city:City {name: 'Austin'}); INSERT (city)-[:IN_STATE]->(state:State {name: 'Texas'}); INSERT (state)-[:IN_COUNTRY]->(country:Country {name: 'USA'}); </code></pre></div> <h4 id="multi-graph-modeling" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Multi-Graph 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-graph-modeling" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Multi-Graph Modeling"> Share link </button> </h4>Multiple logical graphs in one database: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Tenant isolation via properties INSERT (alice:Person {tenant_id: 'company_a', name: 'Alice'}); INSERT (bob:Person {tenant_id: 'company_b', name: 'Bob'}); -- Query single tenant MATCH (p:Person {tenant_id: 'company_a'}) RETURN p.name; -- Or use Row-Level Security CREATE POLICY tenant_isolation ON ALL USING (tenant_id = current_tenant()); -- Now all queries automatically filter by tenant MATCH (p:Person) RETURN p.name; -- Only returns current tenant's people </code></pre></div> <h3 id="data-types-and-properties" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Data Types and 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="data-types-and-properties" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Data Types and Properties"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="supported-types-in-geode" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Supported Types 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="supported-types-in-geode" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Supported Types in Geode"> Share link </button> </h4>Primitive Types: <ul> <li><code>INTEGER</code>: Whole numbers</li> <li><code>FLOAT</code>: Decimal numbers</li> <li><code>STRING</code>: Text</li> <li><code>BOOLEAN</code>: true/false</li> </ul> Temporal Types: <ul> <li><code>DATE</code>: Calendar dates</li> <li><code>TIME</code>: Time of day</li> <li><code>TIMESTAMP</code>: Point in time</li> <li><code>DURATION</code>: Time intervals</li> </ul> Complex Types: <ul> <li><code>LIST</code>: Arrays of values</li> <li><code>MAP</code>: Nested key-value structures</li> </ul> Special: <ul> <li><code>NULL</code>: Absence of value</li> </ul> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">INSERT (product:Product { id: 'prod_123', -- STRING name: 'Laptop', -- STRING price: 1299.99, -- FLOAT stock: 47, -- INTEGER available: true, -- BOOLEAN released: DATE '2024-03-15', -- DATE updated: CURRENT_TIMESTAMP, -- TIMESTAMP tags: ['electronics', 'computers', 'portable'], -- LIST specs: { cpu: 'Intel i9', ram: '32GB', storage: '1TB SSD' }, -- MAP discontinued: NULL -- NULL }); </code></pre></div> <h3 id="schema-design-best-practices" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Schema Design 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="schema-design-best-practices" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Schema Design Best Practices"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="1-model-for-queries" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 1. Model for 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-queries" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: 1. Model for Queries"> Share link </button> </h4>Design based on how you’ll query, not just domain structure: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- If you frequently need "products a user might like" -- Model supports this efficiently: MATCH (u:User {id: $user_id})-[:LIKES]->(category:Category) MATCH (p:Product)-[:IN_CATEGORY]->(category) WHERE NOT EXISTS { MATCH (u)-[:PURCHASED]->(p) } RETURN p.name, count(category) AS relevance ORDER BY relevance DESC; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="2-normalize-appropriately" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 2. Normalize Appropriately <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-normalize-appropriately" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: 2. Normalize Appropriately"> Share link </button> </h4>Unlike relational, some denormalization is beneficial: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- OK: Store commonly-accessed data redundantly for performance INSERT (order:Order { id: 'o123', customer_id: 'c456', customer_name: 'Alice', -- Denormalized for quick access total: 299.99 }); INSERT (order)-[:PLACED_BY]->(customer:Customer {id: 'c456', name: 'Alice'}); </code></pre></div> <h4 id="3-use-meaningful-labels" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 3. Use Meaningful 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="3-use-meaningful-labels" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: 3. Use Meaningful Labels"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- GOOD: Specific labels (p:Person), (c:Company), (prod:Product) -- BAD: Generic label with type property (entity:Entity {type: 'person'}) </code></pre></div> <h4 id="4-index-strategic-properties" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 4. Index Strategic 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="4-index-strategic-properties" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: 4. Index Strategic Properties"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Index properties used for lookups CREATE INDEX user_email ON User(email); CREATE INDEX product_sku ON Product(sku); CREATE INDEX order_date ON Order(date); -- Composite indexes for multi-property queries CREATE INDEX product_category_price ON Product(category, price); </code></pre></div> <h4 id="5-avoid-redundant-relationships" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 5. Avoid 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="5-avoid-redundant-relationships" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: 5. Avoid Redundant Relationships"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- BAD: Redundant relationship INSERT (user)-[:LIVES_IN]->(city:City); INSERT (city)-[:IN_STATE]->(state:State); INSERT (user)-[:LIVES_IN_STATE]->(state); -- Redundant! Can be derived -- GOOD: Derive through traversal MATCH (user:User)-[:LIVES_IN]->(city)-[:IN_STATE]->(state) RETURN state.name; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="querying-property-graphs" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Querying Property 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="querying-property-graphs" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Querying Property Graphs"> Share link </button> </h3> <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">-- Simple pattern MATCH (p:Person {age: 30}) RETURN p.name; -- Multi-hop pattern MATCH (a:Person)-[:KNOWS]->(b)-[:KNOWS]->(c) WHERE a.name = 'Alice' RETURN c.name; -- Variable-length paths MATCH (a:Person)-[:KNOWS*2..4]->(distant) WHERE a.name = 'Alice' RETURN distant.name, length(path) AS hops; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="property-access" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> 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="property-access" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Property Access"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Access node properties MATCH (p:Person) RETURN p.name, p.age, p.email; -- Access relationship properties MATCH (a:Person)-[r:KNOWS]->(b:Person) RETURN a.name, b.name, r.since, r.strength; -- Filter by properties MATCH (p:Product) WHERE p.price > 100 AND p.category = 'Electronics' RETURN p.name, p.price; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="path-operations" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Path 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="path-operations" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Path Operations"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Extract path components MATCH path = (a:Person)-[:KNOWS*]-(b:Person) WHERE a.name = 'Alice' AND b.name = 'Bob' RETURN nodes(path) AS all_nodes, relationships(path) AS all_rels, length(path) AS hop_count; -- Shortest path MATCH path = SHORTEST (a:Person {name: 'Alice'})-[:KNOWS*]-(b:Person {name: 'Bob'}) RETURN path, length(path); </code></pre></div> <h3 id="comparison-with-other-models" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Comparison with Other 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="comparison-with-other-models" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Comparison with Other Models"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="vs-relational-model" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> vs. Relational 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="vs-relational-model" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: vs. Relational Model"> Share link </button> </h4><table> <thead> <tr> <th>Aspect</th> <th>Property Graph</th> <th>Relational</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Relationships</td> <td>First-class</td> <td>Foreign keys</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Traversal</td> <td>O(1) per hop</td> <td>JOIN (expensive)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Schema</td> <td>Flexible</td> <td>Rigid</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Many-to-many</td> <td>Direct</td> <td>Junction tables</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h4 id="vs-rdf-triple-stores" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> vs. RDF Triple Stores <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="vs-rdf-triple-stores" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: vs. RDF Triple Stores"> Share link </button> </h4><table> <thead> <tr> <th>Aspect</th> <th>Property Graph</th> <th>RDF</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Structure</td> <td>Labeled nodes/relationships</td> <td>Subject-predicate-object triples</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Properties</td> <td>On nodes and relationships</td> <td>Requires reification</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Query</td> <td>GQL (pattern matching)</td> <td>SPARQL</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Use Case</td> <td>General graph data</td> <td>Semantic web, ontologies</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h4 id="vs-document-databases" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> vs. Document Databases <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="vs-document-databases" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: vs. Document Databases"> Share link </button> </h4><table> <thead> <tr> <th>Aspect</th> <th>Property Graph</th> <th>Document</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Relationships</td> <td>Explicit, navigable</td> <td>Embedded or referenced</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Queries</td> <td>Pattern traversal</td> <td>Key lookup or full scan</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Consistency</td> <td>ACID (Geode)</td> <td>Eventual (most)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Use Case</td> <td>Connected data</td> <td>Document-centric</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h3 id="implementation-in-geode" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Implementation 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="implementation-in-geode" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Implementation in Geode"> Share link </button> </h3>Geode implements the property graph model through: <ul> <li>ISO/IEC 39075:2024 GQL: Standard query language</li> <li>Native Graph Storage: Adjacency lists for O(1) traversals</li> <li>B-tree Indexes: Fast property lookups</li> <li>Row-Level Security: Property-level access control</li> <li>ACID Transactions: Full consistency guarantees</li> </ul> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Example leveraging Geode features BEGIN TRANSACTION; INSERT (user:User {id: 'u123', name: 'Alice'}); INSERT (product:Product {id: 'p456', name: 'Laptop', price: 1299}); INSERT (user)-[:PURCHASED {date: CURRENT_DATE, amount: 1299}]->(product); COMMIT; -- Query with RLS CREATE POLICY user_purchases ON PURCHASED USING (source.id = current_user_id()); MATCH (u:User)-[p:PURCHASED]->(prod:Product) RETURN prod.name; -- Only returns current user's purchases </code></pre></div> <h3 id="conclusion" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Conclusion <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="conclusion" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Conclusion"> Share link </button> </h3>The property graph model provides an intuitive, flexible approach to modeling connected data that closely mirrors how we think about relationships in the real world. By combining nodes, relationships, properties, and labels, you can represent complex domains naturally and query them efficiently with pattern matching. Geode’s implementation of the property graph model through the ISO GQL standard brings this powerful paradigm to production workloads with enterprise features, ACID guarantees, and high performance. Explore the documentation below for domain-specific modeling patterns, optimization techniques, and best practices.

Popular

Related Articles

Data Model and Types