Appendix B. Neo4j
This appendix covers
- Introduction to Neo4j database and its key features for graph data management
- Installation procedures for Neo4j Server and Desktop across different operating systems
- Essential Cypher query language basics and configuration of APOC and GDS plugins
Throughout the book, examples, code, and exercises are based on a specific graph database: Neo4j. Nevertheless, all the theories, the algorithms, and even the code can be easily adapted to work with any graph database on the market now and (with a good approximation) in the future. The reasons why I selected this database among others are
- I’ve work with this database for the last 10 years (and I know it inside out).
- It is a native graph database (with all the consequences that it brings as explained throughout the book).
- It has a broad community of experts.
According to DB-Engines (https://db-engines.com/en/ranking_trend/graph+dbms), Neo4j has been the most popular graph DBMS for the last several years (figure B.1).[1]
Figure B.1 DB-Engines ranking of Graph DBMSs
This appendix provides the minimum amount of information necessary to get started with Neo4j and how to use it throughout the book. It covers a generic introduction about Neo4j, installation instructions, and a description of the Cypher language (the language used to query the database). We’ll also discuss the configuration of some plugins used in the examples.