WITH Clause in GQL

<h2 id="with-clause-in-gql" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> WITH Clause in GQL <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="with-clause-in-gql" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: WITH Clause in GQL"> 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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It acts as a pipeline connector, allowing you to transform, filter, and aggregate data as it flows through your query. Geode implements the WITH clause according to the ISO/IEC 39075:2024 GQL standard. <h3 id="introduction-to-with" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Introduction to WITH <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="introduction-to-with" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Introduction to WITH"> Share link </button> </h3>Think of WITH as a combination of RETURN and a new query start. It defines what variables pass to the next part of the query while filtering out everything else. This enables sophisticated query patterns that would otherwise require multiple separate queries. Key characteristics of WITH: <ul> <li>Variable Scoping: Only explicitly named variables pass through</li> <li>Intermediate Processing: Transform data between query stages</li> <li>Aggregation Boundary: Perform aggregations mid-query</li> <li>Filter After Aggregation: Apply WHERE to aggregated results</li> <li>Query Composition: Build complex queries from simpler parts</li> </ul> <h3 id="basic-with-usage" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Basic WITH Usage <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-with-usage" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Basic WITH Usage"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="passing-variables" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Passing Variables <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="passing-variables" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Passing Variables"> Share link </button> </h4>Control which variables continue to the next query part. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Pass specific variables MATCH (p:Person)-[:FRIEND]->(friend:Person) WITH p, friend MATCH (friend)-[:LIKES]->(movie:Movie) RETURN p.name, friend.name, movie.title; -- Filter out intermediate variables MATCH (a:Author)-[:WROTE]->(b:Book)-[:PUBLISHED_BY]->(pub:Publisher) WITH a, b -- pub is not passed RETURN a.name, b.title; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="variable-aliasing" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Variable Aliasing <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="variable-aliasing" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Variable Aliasing"> Share link </button> </h4>Rename variables during the transition. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Rename for clarity MATCH (u:User) WITH u AS customer MATCH (customer)-[:PURCHASED]->(p:Product) RETURN customer.name, p.name; -- Rename properties MATCH (p:Person) WITH p.name AS person_name, p.age AS person_age WHERE person_age > 21 RETURN person_name, person_age; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="expression-computation" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Expression Computation <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="expression-computation" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Expression Computation"> Share link </button> </h4>Compute values in the WITH clause. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Calculate intermediate values MATCH (p:Product) WITH p, p.price * 1.1 AS price_with_tax RETURN p.name, p.price, price_with_tax; -- Complex expressions MATCH (u:User)-[:POSTED]->(post:Post) WITH u, count(post) AS post_count, sum(post.likes) AS total_likes WITH u, post_count, total_likes, CASE WHEN post_count > 0 THEN total_likes / post_count ELSE 0 END AS avg_likes RETURN u.name, post_count, avg_likes; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="aggregation-with-with" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Aggregation with WITH <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-with" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Aggregation with WITH"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="basic-aggregation" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Basic Aggregation <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="basic-aggregation" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Basic Aggregation"> Share link </button> </h4>Perform aggregations and continue processing. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Count and continue MATCH (c:Customer)-[:PURCHASED]->(p:Product) WITH c, count(p) AS purchase_count WHERE purchase_count > 5 RETURN c.name, purchase_count ORDER BY purchase_count DESC; -- Multiple aggregations MATCH (d:Department)<-[:WORKS_IN]-(e:Employee) WITH d, count(e) AS employee_count, avg(e.salary) AS avg_salary, sum(e.salary) AS total_salary RETURN d.name, employee_count, avg_salary, total_salary; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="aggregation-pipeline" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Aggregation Pipeline <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-pipeline" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Aggregation Pipeline"> Share link </button> </h4>Chain multiple aggregation stages. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Two-stage aggregation MATCH (c:Category)-[:CONTAINS]->(p:Product)<-[:PURCHASED]-(customer:Customer) WITH c, p, count(customer) AS times_purchased WITH c, sum(times_purchased) AS category_sales, count(p) AS product_count RETURN c.name, category_sales, product_count ORDER BY category_sales DESC; -- Aggregate of aggregates MATCH (u:User)-[:POSTED]->(post:Post) WITH u, count(post) AS posts_per_user WITH avg(posts_per_user) AS avg_posts, max(posts_per_user) AS max_posts RETURN avg_posts, max_posts; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="grouping-with-with" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Grouping with WITH <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="grouping-with-with" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Grouping with WITH"> Share link </button> </h4>Implicit grouping based on non-aggregated variables. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Group by multiple fields MATCH (s:Sale) WITH s.year AS year, s.quarter AS quarter, sum(s.amount) AS quarterly_sales RETURN year, quarter, quarterly_sales ORDER BY year, quarter; -- Group and filter MATCH (author:Author)-[:WROTE]->(book:Book) WITH author, count(book) AS book_count WHERE book_count >= 3 RETURN author.name AS prolific_author, book_count; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="filtering-with-with" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Filtering with WITH <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="filtering-with-with" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Filtering with WITH"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="where-after-with" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> WHERE After WITH <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="where-after-with" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: WHERE After WITH"> Share link </button> </h4>Apply conditions to computed values. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Filter on aggregated result MATCH (p:Product)<-[:REVIEWED]-(r:Review) WITH p, avg(r.rating) AS avg_rating, count(r) AS review_count WHERE avg_rating >= 4.0 AND review_count >= 10 RETURN p.name, avg_rating, review_count; -- Filter on expression MATCH (e:Employee) WITH e, e.salary / 12 AS monthly_salary WHERE monthly_salary > 5000 RETURN e.name, monthly_salary; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="combining-with-and-where" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Combining WITH and WHERE <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="combining-with-and-where" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Combining WITH and WHERE"> Share link </button> </h4>Build progressive filters. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Multi-stage filtering MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.active = true -- Initial filter WITH u WHERE u.verified = true -- Second filter MATCH (u)-[:POSTED]->(p:Post) WITH u, count(p) AS posts WHERE posts > 10 -- Filter on aggregation RETURN u.name, posts; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="ordering-and-pagination" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Ordering and Pagination <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-and-pagination" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Ordering and Pagination"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="order-by-with-with" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> ORDER BY with WITH <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="order-by-with-with" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: ORDER BY with WITH"> Share link </button> </h4>Sort intermediate results. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Sort before limiting MATCH (p:Product) WITH p ORDER BY p.price DESC LIMIT 10 RETURN p.name, p.price AS top_10_expensive; -- Sort aggregated results MATCH (a:Artist)-[:CREATED]->(art:Artwork) WITH a, count(art) AS artwork_count ORDER BY artwork_count DESC LIMIT 5 RETURN a.name, artwork_count; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="limit-and-skip" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> LIMIT and SKIP <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="limit-and-skip" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: LIMIT and SKIP"> Share link </button> </h4>Paginate intermediate results. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Get top N before joining MATCH (u:User) WITH u ORDER BY u.followers DESC LIMIT 100 MATCH (u)-[:POSTED]->(p:Post) RETURN u.name, collect(p.title) AS recent_posts; -- Skip for pagination MATCH (p:Product) WITH p ORDER BY p.created_at DESC SKIP $offset LIMIT $limit RETURN p.name, p.price; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="subquery-like-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Subquery-like Patterns <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="subquery-like-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Subquery-like Patterns"> Share link </button> </h4>Use WITH to create subquery effects. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Top per category MATCH (c:Category) WITH c MATCH (c)-[:CONTAINS]->(p:Product) WITH c, p ORDER BY p.price DESC WITH c, collect(p)[0..3] AS top_products RETURN c.name, [prod IN top_products | prod.name] AS top_3_products; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="query-composition" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Query Composition <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="query-composition" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Query Composition"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="sequential-match-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Sequential MATCH 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="sequential-match-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Sequential MATCH Patterns"> Share link </button> </h4>Connect multiple MATCH operations. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Chain MATCH operations MATCH (u:User {name: 'Alice'}) WITH u MATCH (u)-[:FRIEND]->(friend) WITH u, friend MATCH (friend)-[:PURCHASED]->(p:Product) RETURN u.name, friend.name, collect(p.name) AS friend_purchases; -- Optional chain MATCH (c:Customer {id: $customer_id}) WITH c OPTIONAL MATCH (c)-[:PURCHASED]->(p:Product) WITH c, collect(p) AS purchases OPTIONAL MATCH (c)-[:WISHLISTED]->(w:Product) RETURN c.name, purchases, collect(w) AS wishlist; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="branching-queries" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Branching 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="branching-queries" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Branching Queries"> Share link </button> </h4>Create different paths through the query. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Conditional path MATCH (u:User {id: $user_id}) WITH u, u.subscription_type AS sub_type MATCH (u)-[:HAS_ACCESS]->(content:Content) WHERE CASE sub_type WHEN 'premium' THEN true WHEN 'basic' THEN content.tier = 'basic' ELSE content.tier = 'free' END RETURN content.title; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="subquery-simulation" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Subquery Simulation <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-simulation" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Subquery Simulation"> Share link </button> </h4>Simulate subqueries with WITH. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Find users with above-average activity MATCH (u:User)-[:PERFORMED]->(a:Action) WITH avg(count(a)) AS avg_actions MATCH (u:User)-[:PERFORMED]->(a:Action) WITH u, count(a) AS action_count, avg_actions WHERE action_count > avg_actions RETURN u.name, action_count; -- Correct version with proper scoping MATCH (u:User)-[:PERFORMED]->(a:Action) WITH u, count(a) AS user_actions WITH avg(user_actions) AS avg_actions MATCH (u:User)-[:PERFORMED]->(a:Action) WITH u, count(a) AS action_count, avg_actions WHERE action_count > avg_actions RETURN u.name, action_count; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="collect-and-unwind-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> COLLECT and UNWIND 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="collect-and-unwind-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: COLLECT and UNWIND Patterns"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="collect-with-with" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> COLLECT with WITH <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="collect-with-with" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: COLLECT with WITH"> Share link </button> </h4>Aggregate into lists for further processing. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Collect then process MATCH (u:User)-[:FRIEND]->(friend:User) WITH u, collect(friend) AS friends WITH u, friends, size(friends) AS friend_count WHERE friend_count > 10 RETURN u.name, friend_count; -- Collect maps MATCH (o:Order)-[:CONTAINS]->(i:OrderItem)-[:OF_PRODUCT]->(p:Product) WITH o, collect({product: p.name, qty: i.quantity, price: i.price}) AS items RETURN o.id, items, reduce(total = 0, item IN items | total + item.qty * item.price) AS order_total; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="unwind-with-with" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> UNWIND with WITH <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="unwind-with-with" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: UNWIND with WITH"> Share link </button> </h4>Expand collections for further matching. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Unwind and process MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.interests IS NOT NULL WITH u, u.interests AS interests UNWIND interests AS interest MATCH (p:Product) WHERE interest IN p.tags RETURN u.name, collect(DISTINCT p.name) AS recommended_products; -- Create from list WITH ['Alice', 'Bob', 'Charlie'] AS names UNWIND names AS name CREATE (p:Person {name: name}) RETURN p; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="variable-scoping" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Variable Scoping <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="variable-scoping" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Variable Scoping"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="scope-isolation" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Scope Isolation <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="scope-isolation" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Scope Isolation"> Share link </button> </h4>WITH creates a scope boundary. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Variables before WITH are not accessible after MATCH (a:Person {name: 'Alice'})-[:KNOWS]->(b:Person) WITH b -- Only b passes through MATCH (b)-[:LIKES]->(m:Movie) -- a is NOT accessible here RETURN b.name, m.title; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="preserving-variables" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Preserving Variables <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="preserving-variables" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Preserving Variables"> Share link </button> </h4>Explicitly pass variables you need later. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Pass all needed variables MATCH (u:User)-[:ORDERED]->(o:Order) WITH u, o, o.date AS order_date -- Preserve what you need WHERE order_date > date('2025-01-01') MATCH (o)-[:CONTAINS]->(p:Product) RETURN u.name, order_date, collect(p.name); -- Using * to pass all (if supported) MATCH (a:Person)-[r:KNOWS]->(b:Person) WITH *, type(r) AS rel_type RETURN a.name, rel_type, b.name; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="introducing-new-variables" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Introducing New Variables <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="introducing-new-variables" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Introducing New Variables"> Share link </button> </h4>Add computed variables to scope. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Add calculated values MATCH (p:Product) WITH p, p.price AS base_price, p.price * 0.1 AS tax, p.price * 1.1 AS total_price RETURN p.name, base_price, tax, total_price; -- Add constants MATCH (s:Sale) WITH s, 0.15 AS tax_rate, date() AS today WITH s, s.amount * tax_rate AS tax, today RETURN s.id, s.amount, tax; </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="recursive-like-queries" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Recursive-like 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="recursive-like-queries" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Recursive-like Queries"> Share link </button> </h4>Build iterative processing patterns. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Expand levels iteratively MATCH (start:Person {name: 'Alice'}) WITH start, [start] AS level0 MATCH (l0)-[:KNOWS]->(l1:Person) WHERE l0 IN level0 AND NOT l1 IN level0 WITH start, level0, collect(DISTINCT l1) AS level1 MATCH (l1)-[:KNOWS]->(l2:Person) WHERE l1 IN level1 AND NOT l2 IN level0 + level1 WITH start, level0, level1, collect(DISTINCT l2) AS level2 RETURN size(level0) AS degree_0, size(level1) AS degree_1, size(level2) AS degree_2; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="data-transformation-pipeline" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Data Transformation Pipeline <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-transformation-pipeline" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Data Transformation Pipeline"> Share link </button> </h4>Transform data through multiple stages. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- ETL-like transformation MATCH (raw:RawData) WITH raw, trim(raw.name) AS clean_name, toInteger(raw.amount) AS numeric_amount, date(raw.date_string) AS parsed_date WITH clean_name AS name, CASE WHEN numeric_amount < 0 THEN 0 ELSE numeric_amount END AS amount, parsed_date AS date WHERE name IS NOT NULL AND date IS NOT NULL CREATE (clean:CleanData { name: name, amount: amount, date: date, imported_at: datetime() }); </code></pre></div> <h4 id="set-operations-simulation" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Set Operations Simulation <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-simulation" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Set Operations Simulation"> Share link </button> </h4>Simulate set operations with WITH. <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Intersection: Users who purchased both products MATCH (u:User)-[:PURCHASED]->(p1:Product {name: 'Widget'}) WITH collect(u) AS widget_buyers MATCH (u:User)-[:PURCHASED]->(p2:Product {name: 'Gadget'}) WHERE u IN widget_buyers RETURN u.name AS bought_both; -- Difference: Widget buyers who didn't buy Gadget MATCH (u:User)-[:PURCHASED]->(p1:Product {name: 'Widget'}) WITH collect(u) AS widget_buyers MATCH (u:User)-[:PURCHASED]->(p2:Product {name: 'Gadget'}) WITH widget_buyers, collect(u) AS gadget_buyers UNWIND widget_buyers AS buyer WHERE NOT buyer IN gadget_buyers RETURN buyer.name AS widget_only; </code></pre></div> <h3 id="best-practices" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Best Practices <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="best-practices" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Best Practices"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="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> </h4><ol> <li>Reduce Data Early: Filter and limit early in the pipeline</li> </ol> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Good: Filter early MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.active = true WITH u LIMIT 100 MATCH (u)-[:POSTED]->(p:Post) RETURN u.name, collect(p.title); -- Avoid: Process all then limit MATCH (u:User)-[:POSTED]->(p:Post) WITH u, collect(p.title) AS posts LIMIT 100 RETURN u.name, posts; </code></pre></div><ol start="2"> <li>Aggregate Appropriately: Don’t over-aggregate</li> </ol> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Good: Aggregate what you need MATCH (u:User)-[:ORDERED]->(o:Order) WITH u, count(o) AS orders WHERE orders > 5 RETURN u.name; -- Avoid: Collecting unnecessarily MATCH (u:User)-[:ORDERED]->(o:Order) WITH u, collect(o) AS all_orders WHERE size(all_orders) > 5 RETURN u.name; </code></pre></div><ol start="3"> <li>Minimize Variables: Pass only needed variables</li> </ol> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Good: Minimal scope MATCH (a)-[r]->(b)-[s]->(c) WITH b, c -- Only pass what's needed MATCH (c)-[:LINKS]->(d) RETURN b.name, c.name, d.name; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="readability" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Readability <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="readability" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Readability"> Share link </button> </h4><ol> <li>Use Meaningful Names: Clear variable names improve maintainability</li> </ol> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">MATCH (c:Customer)-[:PLACED]->(o:Order) WITH c AS customer, count(o) AS total_orders, sum(o.amount) AS lifetime_value WHERE lifetime_value > 1000 RETURN customer.name, total_orders, lifetime_value; </code></pre></div><ol start="2"> <li>Document Complex Pipelines: Add comments for clarity</li> </ol> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Step 1: Get active users MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.last_active > datetime() - duration('P30D') WITH u -- Step 2: Calculate engagement metrics MATCH (u)-[:POSTED]->(p:Post) WITH u, count(p) AS posts, sum(p.likes) AS total_likes -- Step 3: Filter high performers WHERE posts >= 5 AND total_likes >= 100 RETURN u.name, posts, total_likes; </code></pre></div><ol start="3"> <li>Break Into Stages: Use WITH to create logical stages</li> </ol> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">-- Find, filter, aggregate, return MATCH (p:Product) WITH p WHERE p.active = true WITH p ORDER BY p.sales DESC LIMIT 100 WITH p, p.price * p.sales AS revenue RETURN p.name, p.sales, revenue ORDER BY revenue DESC; </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="top-n-per-group" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Top N per Group <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="top-n-per-group" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Top N per Group"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">MATCH (c:Category)-[:CONTAINS]->(p:Product) WITH c, p ORDER BY p.rating DESC WITH c, collect(p)[0..5] AS top_products RETURN c.name, [p IN top_products | p.name] AS best_in_category; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="running-totals" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Running Totals <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="running-totals" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Running Totals"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">MATCH (t:Transaction) WHERE t.account_id = $account_id WITH t ORDER BY t.date WITH collect(t) AS transactions UNWIND range(0, size(transactions)-1) AS i WITH transactions[i] AS t, transactions[0..i+1] AS running RETURN t.date, t.amount, reduce(sum = 0, tx IN running | sum + tx.amount) AS balance; </code></pre></div> <h4 id="pivot-like-transformation" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Pivot-like Transformation <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="pivot-like-transformation" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Pivot-like Transformation"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">MATCH (s:Sale) WITH s.product AS product, sum(CASE WHEN s.year = 2023 THEN s.amount ELSE 0 END) AS sales_2023, sum(CASE WHEN s.year = 2024 THEN s.amount ELSE 0 END) AS sales_2024, sum(CASE WHEN s.year = 2025 THEN s.amount ELSE 0 END) AS sales_2025 RETURN product, sales_2023, sales_2024, sales_2025; </code></pre></div> <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/return/" >RETURN Clause</a> : Final output projection</li> <li><a href="/tags/where/" >WHERE Clause</a> : Filtering conditions</li> <li><a href="/tags/aggregation/" >Aggregation</a> : Aggregation functions</li> <li><a href="/tags/match/" >MATCH Clause</a> : Pattern matching</li> <li><a href="/tags/unwind/" >UNWIND</a> : List expansion</li> <li><a href="/tags/gql-reference/" >GQL Reference</a> : Complete GQL language reference</li> <li><a href="/tags/query-optimization/" >Query Optimization</a> : Performance tuning</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>GQL Tutorial - Query Composition: <code>/docs/gql-tutorial/query-composition/</code></li> <li>Advanced Query Patterns: <code>/docs/guides/advanced-patterns/</code></li> <li>Performance Guide: <code>/docs/performance/query-optimization/</code></li> <li>Subqueries Guide: <code>/docs/gql-reference/subqueries/</code></li> <li>GQL Specification: <code>/docs/gql-reference/specification/</code></li> </ul>

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