Summary of Neo4j Ecosystem

Neo4j is a native graph database that excels in storing and managing connected data. It
offers a rich ecosystem of tools and services that enhance the graph database experience, making
it easier to integrate graph technologies into various environments.

Core Components:
 Neo4j Graph Database: Available in Community and Enterprise editions, it is the core
product designed to store and retrieve connected data efficiently.
 Neo4j Aura: A fully managed cloud service offering AuraDB for graph database needs
and AuraDS for graph data science, providing access to over 65 graph algorithms.
 Neo4j Graph Data Science (GDS): Offers a library of over 65 graph algorithms
optimized for enterprise workloads, enabling users to gain insights from big data.

Key Tools:
 Neo4j Desktop: A local development environment for working with Neo4j, including a
variety of tools and plugins.
 Neo4j Browser: An online interface for querying and visualizing data in the database,
offering basic visualization capabilities.
 Neo4j Operations Manager (NOM): A UI-based tool for monitoring and administering
Neo4j database management systems.
 Data Importer: A no-code tool for importing data from flat files into Neo4j.
 Neo4j Bloom: A visualization tool for business users to analyze graph data without
programming skills.

Cypher Query Language: Cypher is a query language for property graphs, known for its ease
of learning, visual and logical nature, security, and flexibility.

Integration and Connectivity:

 Drivers and Connectors: Officially supported drivers and connectors for integrating
Neo4j with various environments.
 GraphQL Library: A JavaScript library for rapid API development using connected
data.
 OGM: An Object Graph Mapping Library for Neo4j.
Getting Started:
 Various options are available, including Neo4j Aura for cloud-based needs and on-
premises installations for more control.
 Neo4j Desktop is recommended for developers, providing a local environment with
essential tools and plugins.

Graph Data Modeling:

Graph data modeling is crucial for designing efficient graph databases. It involves
structuring data in a way that represents real-world relationships and optimizes query
performance. Neo4j provides guidelines and best practices to help you create effective graph data
models.
Graph Modeling Guidelines
 Basic Process: Introduces the process of designing a graph data model.
 Design Considerations: Helps determine the right questions to ask and shares best
practices for building flexible and clean data models.
Translating an RDBMS Schema to Graph
 Relational to Graph: Guides you in translating existing relational schemas to graph data
models.
 Conversion Mappings: Walks you through the process and highlights the differences
between relational and graph models.
Optimizing Graph Data Models
 Improving Performance: Provides tips for optimizing graph solutions to enhance query
performance and overall efficiency.
Live Graph Models - GraphGists
 Real-life Examples: Neo4j GraphGists offer a collection of real-life examples and
solutions shared by the Neo4j community.
 Use Case Specific: You can explore GraphGists based on your industry or use case to
find relevant projects that can aid your design process.

Importing Your Data into Neo4j

Importing data into Neo4j allows you to populate your graph database with information
from various sources. Neo4j provides different methods for importing data, including CSV files,
API data, and data from relational databases.
Importing CSV Files
 CSV Format: Common format for data stored in rows and columns.
 LOAD CSV Command: In Cypher, allows specifying filepath, headers, delimiters, and
Cypher statements for modeling tabular data into a graph.
 Detailed Guide: Demonstrates how to import CSV files into Neo4j.
Importing API Data
 API Sources: Many data sources expose data via APIs in JSON format.
 APOC Library: Allows importing JSON data into Neo4j using apoc.load.json
command.
 Modeling Data: Cypher statements can be used to model tree-like JSON data into a
graph.
Importing Data from Relational Databases
 Relational Formats: Many systems store data in relational or tabular formats.
 Migration Tools: Various tools available for migrating data from relational databases to
graphs.
 Considerations: Discusses options and factors to consider when choosing migration
tools for your use case.
Querying a Neo4j Database using Cypher
This section introduces Cypher, Neo4j's graph query language, designed to retrieve data
from the graph. Cypher is intuitive, easy to learn, and focuses on what data is needed rather than
how to retrieve it. It is inspired by ASCII-art syntax, making it visual and logical.
Why Cypher?
 Graph Pattern: Cypher is based on recognizing patterns in data, which aligns with the
brain's natural ability to work with patterns.
 Expressive and Efficient: Cypher allows constructing expressive and efficient queries
for create, read, update, or delete (CRUD) operations on the graph.
 Primary Interface: Cypher is the primary interface for interacting with Neo4j, enabling
users to query and manipulate graph data effectively.
Cypher Syntax
 Visual Representation: Nodes and relationships are represented visually in Cypher,
similar to how they are connected in the graph.
 Node Variables: Nodes can be assigned variables for easy reference in queries.
 Node Labels: Nodes can be grouped using labels, allowing for optimized execution of
queries by specifying node categories to search for or create.
Representing Nodes in Cypher
 Node Parentheses: Nodes are represented using parentheses (node).
 Node Variables: Nodes can be given variables for reference in queries, e.g., (p:Person).
 Node Labels: Nodes can be labeled to group similar entities, e.g., (:Technology).
Representing Relationships in Cypher
 Relationship Arrows: Relationships are represented using arrows between nodes,
indicating the direction of the relationship.
 Undirected Relationships: Relationships without arrows can be used for undirected
relationships.
 Relationship Types: Relationships are categorized by types, adding meaning to the
relationship, e.g., [:LIKES].
Node or Relationship Properties
 Properties: Nodes and relationships can have properties, represented by name-value
pairs in curly braces, e.g., (p:Person {name: 'Sally'}).
 Data Types: Properties can have values with various data types, such as strings,
numbers, or booleans.
Patterns in Cypher
 Graph Patterns: Nodes and relationships come together to form graph patterns,
expressing simple or complex relationships.
 Path Expression: Patterns can be written as a continuous path or as smaller patterns tied
together with commas, indicating relationships between nodes.

Connecting to Neo4j
Neo4j Language Guides
This section provides detailed examples of how to integrate Neo4j with various
programming languages. Neo4j officially supports drivers for .NET, Java, JavaScript, Go, and
Python for the binary Bolt protocol. Additionally, community contributors provide drivers for
other languages and APIs.
How to Connect to Neo4j?
If you've set up an AuraDB instance or installed Neo4j locally, you can interact with the
database using the built-in Neo4j Browser. To build an application, you'll need to connect to
Neo4j from your technology stack using a driver that connects via Bolt or HTTP.
The Binary Bolt Protocol
Neo4j supports a binary protocol called Bolt, which is based on the PackStream
serialization. Bolt provides features such as the Cypher type system, protocol versioning,
authentication, and TLS via certificates. For Neo4j Clusters, Bolt offers smart client routing with
load balancing and failover.
Neo4j Drivers
Neo4j provides official drivers for popular programming languages. Here are the reference
documentation links for each:
 Java
 .NET
 JavaScript
 Python
 Go
 Spring
Always use the latest version of the driver, as it will be compatible with previous and future
major Neo4j releases. The latest 5.x driver supports connection to Neo4j 5 and 4.4 instances and
will also be compatible with Neo4j 6.
Using the HTTP API
The HTTP API is available in Community Edition and Enterprise Edition but not in AuraDB.
If you want to access Neo4j programmatically, you can use the HTTP API to:
 POST one or more Cypher statements with parameters
 Keep transactions open over multiple requests
 Choose different result formats
You can directly use these APIs via an HTTP library or a driver for your language. For example,
a simple HTTP Cypher request executable in the Neo4j Browser would look like this:

POST /db/<database-name>/tx/commit {"statements":[ {"statement":"CREATE (p:Person

{firstName: $name}) RETURN p", "parameters":{"name":"Daniel"}} ]}

Some language drivers use the HTTP API under the hood but make them available in a more
convenient way.

Graph Data Science with Neo4j:

Integrating Neo4j GDS with Your Data Ecosystem
To minimize friction around data movement, Neo4j provides multiple connectors, drivers,
and libraries for easy data integration:
 GDS Python Client: Allows calling all Neo4j GDS procedures directly from Python.
 Data Warehouse Connector: Facilitates moving data to and from Snowflake, Google
BigQuery, Amazon Redshift, or Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics.
 BI Connector: Provides direct access to BI tools like Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, etc.
GDS Python Client
For Python-oriented individuals, the GDS Python client package, graphdatascience,
enables writing pure Python code to project graphs, run algorithms, use ML pipelines, and train
ML models with GDS. To avoid naming confusion with the server-side GDS library, we refer to
the Neo4j GDS client as the GDS Python client.

To install the GDS Python client, run:

pip install graphdatascience

Keep in mind the compatibility requirements between the GDS Python client, the Neo4j Python
Driver, and a server-side installation of the GDS library. Check them in the GDS Client manual.
If you use the GDS Python client on AuraDS, run the following:
# Replace with the actual URI, username, and password
AURA_CONNECTION_URI = "neo4j+s://xxxxxxxx.databases.neo4j.io"
AURA_USERNAME = "neo4j"
AURA_PASSWORD = "..."

# Client instantiation
gds = GraphDataScience(
AURA_CONNECTION_URI,
auth=(AURA_USERNAME, AURA_PASSWORD),
aura_ds=True
)
Data Visualization with Neo4j Bloom
Data visualization is an essential part of the data science workflow, allowing data
specialists to analyze and represent massive amounts of information efficiently. Neo4j offers a
low-code visualization tool, Neo4j Bloom, designed to explore and dynamically visualize big
graphs.
For instructions on how to use Bloom with the GDS library, see Neo4j Bloom Manual → Graph
Data Science integration.

Graph Data Science Use Cases

Graph data science can be applied in all industries to make recommendations, identify
anomalies and fraudsters, improve customer knowledge, and optimize supply chains.
The documentation provides instructions on how to apply graph algorithms from GDS to real-
life use cases.
 In the GDS Client Manual → Tutorials, Jupyter ready-to-run notebooks showcase
features of the GDS Python client.
 Usage examples in the AuraDS docs demonstrate the GDS workflow components and
answer frequently asked questions on how to estimate memory usage, monitor the
progress of a running algorithm, or share ML models.
Visualize Your Data in Neo4j
Alternative Visualizations of Graph Data
Not all graph visualizations represent data as circles and lines for nodes and relationships. Users
may want to view data in various chart-based, map-based, or 3D formats.
Chart-based Visualizations
Viewing data in familiar chart formats such as bar charts, histograms, pie charts, dials, meters,
and other representations might be preferred for various users and business needs. There are
tools that support these types of charts for metrics and dashboarding.
Some tools we have used before include:
 Tableau: A data analysis tool that can take data from a variety of sources, including
Neo4j, and visualize data directly.
 amCharts, Chart.js, Nivo: Open-source tools that can be used to visualize Neo4j query
results in various chart formats.
Map-based Visualizations
Graph data is an excellent fit for mapping and representing geographic data, as it is laid
out by entities and connections (locations/points and routes to get to those locations). Neo4j can
help plot latitude and longitude, polygon geometries, routes, as well as distances, so a tool to
overlay a map visualization on the front-end of this data provides a great deal of value for
interacting and exploring an area.
Tools like Leaflet.js and Mapbox can be used for map-based visualizations. Leaflet.js is an open-
source library that allows for interactive maps, while Mapbox provides additional capabilities for
creating custom map layers.
Heatmap Visualizations
A heatmap is a data visualization where colors are used to represent data values. It is
often imposed on a map, but could also be on a matrix as well. When heatmaps are used on a
map, pockets of activity may be spread out, so some form of interpolation is often used.
There are plugins available for Leaflet.js that allow for heatmap visualizations.
3D Visualizations
Adding a third dimension may increase some complexity in the visualization, but also
adds value. Exploring your data in 3D can help navigate through large amounts of data better and
more clearly. Clustering should also be more apparent in a 3D visualization because data can be
more spread out when using the third dimension, where 2D can cause groups to overlap or
display more closely.
Tools like 3d-force-graph can be used for 3D visualizations of graph data. It offers features for
customizing styles of nodes and relationships, as well as container layouts, rendering controls,
configuring simulation, and user interaction.
Other Categories
There are still other tools for visualization that may not necessarily fit into the categories
discussed so far. Instead, they expand the current boundaries and find uniquely powerful ways to
utilize graph technologies. Thinking outside the box increases the possibilities of graph even
further!
Graphileon:
 Graphileon is a platform for building graphy applications by composing functions and UI
elements.
 Users such as consultants and designers can harness it for styling and dashboards, while
developers can integrate it with other technologies to customize applications, embed
views, or extend functionality.
Partner and Community Visualization Tools:
 Outside of Neo4j’s offerings, partners and community members have built tools and
integrations to connect graph data in Neo4j with more graph visualizations.