preface
Two complementary trends started in the mid to late 2000s. First, companies began using and collecting more data on their customers, competition, and users than ever before. Second, the information companies wanted from this data became more complex, often containing hidden connections. These two trends drove the need for an easier exploration of expansive, yet highly connected data. Graph databases met that need.
Both the authors have gotten an up-close and personal view of this market as the technology, usage, and adoption of graph technology has matured. We both started using graph databases in the mid 2010s while working for a niche software consulting company. Independently, we each worked on projects that used graph databases to solve specific types of complex data problems. At that time, graph databases were new and very rough. Despite the challenges of working with new technologies, we both recognized the power of this tool and were hooked.
Since then, we have spent countless hours banging our heads against a proverbial wall to understand all the intricacies and nuances of building graph-backed applications. This book is the distillation of those countless hours of struggle. It is our hope that the hands-on nature of this book will provide a solid, foundational understanding of the skills needed to build graph-backed applications and, in the process, help you to avoid some of the pitfalls that we encountered.