Search icon CANCEL
Subscription
0
Cart icon
Your Cart (0 item)
Close icon
You have no products in your basket yet
Arrow left icon
Explore Products
Best Sellers
New Releases
Books
Videos
Audiobooks
Learning Hub
Free Learning
Arrow right icon
Neo4j Cookbook
Neo4j Cookbook

Neo4j Cookbook: Harness the power of Neo4j to perform complex data analysis over the course of 75 easy-to-follow recipes

eBook
€20.98 €29.99
Paperback
€36.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m

What do you get with eBook?

Product feature icon Instant access to your Digital eBook purchase
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
OR
Modal Close icon
Payment Processing...
tick Completed

Billing Address

Table of content icon View table of contents Preview book icon Preview Book

Neo4j Cookbook

Chapter 2. Connecting to Neo4j

In this chapter, we will cover the following recipes:

  • Accessing Neo4j from the command line using the Neo4j shell
  • Accessing Neo4j from the command line using curl
  • Accessing Neo4j from the Java libraries
  • Accessing Neo4j using the Java REST bindings
  • Mapping Neo4j to Java-annotated classes using Spring Data Neo4j
  • Accessing the embedded Neo4j from Python
  • Accessing Neo4j from Python using the REST bindings
  • Annotate the Python object model to the Neo4j graph database
  • Accessing the embedded Neo4j from Ruby
  • Accessing Neo4j from Ruby using the REST bindings
  • Accessing Neo4j from Scala
  • Accessing Neo4j from .NET
  • Accessing Neo4j from PHP
  • Accessing Neo4j from Node.js

Introduction

In this chapter, we will take a look at the various ways in which you can connect to Neo4j. Neo4j is a high-performance graph database, which gives the flexibility to access it from various languages and in different options. The two most popular ones being the embedded option and the server mode. The embedded mode gives the user the power to embed it within the application to get high performance with low latency, whereas the server mode gives the user the flexibility to access the services using the REST endpoint, making it (virtually) language-neutral. Let's briefly discuss both the modes:

  • The embedded mode: The Neo4j graph database can be directly embedded into the application, making it look like a single binary executable file. It can be accessed using the appropriate Java binding.
  • The server mode: The Neo4j graph database can run in the server mode, in which its services can be accessed from any host, using the REST endpoints that are exposed by the Neo4j server...

Accessing Neo4j from the command line using the Neo4j shell

Often, you will find yourself in the need of firing simple Neo4j operations, either to create a node or delete a node, query the total number of nodes, or to poke into the Neo4j graph database. With Neo4j, this can easily be done through the command-line interface.

Neo4j can also be accessed from the command line like the Unix shell. Although it is less likely that this mode is going to be used in production, it's very handy when it comes to development and debugging. In this recipe and the next recipe, we will explore the two ways to connect to Neo4j from the command-line interface, which are using the Neo4j shell and curl.

In this recipe, we will learn how to connect to Neo4j from the command-line interface.

Getting ready

Neo4j ships with a command-line client called the Neo4j shell. The Neo4j shell is a fully featured interactive shell that supports line editing, history, and various help options. Using man followed by a Neo4j...

Accessing Neo4j from the command line using curl

Curl is a popular command-line tool used to access and transfer the data using various protocols. Because the REST API uses the HTTP protocol to transfer data, the curl tool becomes a command-line tool that is used to access the REST API, which is exposed by the Neo4j graph database server.

In this recipe, we will learn how to access the Neo4j graph database server using curl.

Getting ready

The service root endpoint by default is http://host:port/db/data/, which can also be seen through the web interface by opening the endpoint URL in the browser. You will see something similar to this:

Getting ready

How to do it...

Let's access the Neo4j graph database server using the REST endpoint via the curl command-line tool:

  1. Start the Neo4j graph database server using the following command:
    $ ./neo4j start
    

    To check whether things are running fine, open http://localhost:7474/db/data/ in a browser.

    The browser sends the text/HTML as the accepted encoding, but in curl...

Accessing Neo4j from the Java libraries

Java is at the sweet spot when it comes to the Neo4j language bindings, as Neo4j itself is implemented in Java. Most of the other language bindings, which access Neo4j as an embedded application, have been built on Java. In this recipe, we will take a look at the various ways to connect to Neo4j in Java.

In this recipe, we will learn how to access Neo4j in the most powerful way.

Getting ready

Neo4j can be embedded into the Java application, which can provide you with high-performance query results. Follow these steps to embed it into the application:

  1. Neo4j JAR files can be found in the lib directory of the source code. Include all the JAR files present in this directory. Alternatively, the JAR files are also present in the Maven repository.
  2. Add Neo4j to the build path and also add it as a dependency. Detailed information on this can be found at http://docs.neo4j.org/chunked/milestone/tutorials-java-embedded-setup.html.

How to do it...

Let's create our...

Accessing Neo4j using the Java REST bindings

Neo4j can also be accessed using the Java REST bindings, which allows it to be accessed from remote nodes easily. In this recipe, we will take a look at the ways of accessing Neo4j from Java using the REST bindings.

Getting ready

The Neo4j REST interface provides an easy way to access Neo4j graph database remotely.

Follow these instructions to go through this recipe:

Start the Neo4j graph database server using the following command:

$ ./neo4j start

To check whether the REST interface is running fine, open http://localhost:7474/db/data/ in a browser.

How to do it...

This problem can be dealt with in two ways, which are described as follows:

Developing your own Neo4j REST client

There are many REST Java client libraries that can be utilized to write your own REST API client for Neo4j. The bad part is that you have to deal with all the possible scenarios and error cases. One example is using the Jersey client, which is shown in the following code:

final String...

Mapping Neo4j to Java-annotated classes using Spring Data Neo4j

Spring Data Neo4j can increase the productivity of Java by many folds when dealing with Neo4j. It provides a Plain Old Java Objects (POJO) based programming model that significantly reduces the amount of boilerplate code needed to develop Neo4j-based applications. It helps the developer to think in terms of an object-oriented approach, which is easily extendible to add new data models and enhance existing ones (properties, entities, and relationships).

In this recipe, we will learn the use of Neo4j with Spring Data Neo4j.

Getting ready

To step through this recipe, we will need the following configurations to be set before:

The following is the Maven configuration:

<dependency>
  <groupId>org.springframework.data</groupId>
  <artifactId>spring-data-neo4j</artifactId>
  <version>2.3.1.RELEASE</version>
</dependency>
<repositories>
  <repository>
    <id>spring-neo4j...

Introduction


In this chapter, we will take a look at the various ways in which you can connect to Neo4j. Neo4j is a high-performance graph database, which gives the flexibility to access it from various languages and in different options. The two most popular ones being the embedded option and the server mode. The embedded mode gives the user the power to embed it within the application to get high performance with low latency, whereas the server mode gives the user the flexibility to access the services using the REST endpoint, making it (virtually) language-neutral. Let's briefly discuss both the modes:

  • The embedded mode: The Neo4j graph database can be directly embedded into the application, making it look like a single binary executable file. It can be accessed using the appropriate Java binding.

  • The server mode: The Neo4j graph database can run in the server mode, in which its services can be accessed from any host, using the REST endpoints that are exposed by the Neo4j server and various...

Accessing Neo4j from the command line using the Neo4j shell


Often, you will find yourself in the need of firing simple Neo4j operations, either to create a node or delete a node, query the total number of nodes, or to poke into the Neo4j graph database. With Neo4j, this can easily be done through the command-line interface.

Neo4j can also be accessed from the command line like the Unix shell. Although it is less likely that this mode is going to be used in production, it's very handy when it comes to development and debugging. In this recipe and the next recipe, we will explore the two ways to connect to Neo4j from the command-line interface, which are using the Neo4j shell and curl.

In this recipe, we will learn how to connect to Neo4j from the command-line interface.

Getting ready

Neo4j ships with a command-line client called the Neo4j shell. The Neo4j shell is a fully featured interactive shell that supports line editing, history, and various help options. Using man followed by a Neo4j command...

Accessing Neo4j from the command line using curl


Curl is a popular command-line tool used to access and transfer the data using various protocols. Because the REST API uses the HTTP protocol to transfer data, the curl tool becomes a command-line tool that is used to access the REST API, which is exposed by the Neo4j graph database server.

In this recipe, we will learn how to access the Neo4j graph database server using curl.

Getting ready

The service root endpoint by default is http://host:port/db/data/, which can also be seen through the web interface by opening the endpoint URL in the browser. You will see something similar to this:

How to do it...

Let's access the Neo4j graph database server using the REST endpoint via the curl command-line tool:

  1. Start the Neo4j graph database server using the following command:

    $ ./neo4j start
    

    To check whether things are running fine, open http://localhost:7474/db/data/ in a browser.

    The browser sends the text/HTML as the accepted encoding, but in curl, we...

Accessing Neo4j from the Java libraries


Java is at the sweet spot when it comes to the Neo4j language bindings, as Neo4j itself is implemented in Java. Most of the other language bindings, which access Neo4j as an embedded application, have been built on Java. In this recipe, we will take a look at the various ways to connect to Neo4j in Java.

In this recipe, we will learn how to access Neo4j in the most powerful way.

Getting ready

Neo4j can be embedded into the Java application, which can provide you with high-performance query results. Follow these steps to embed it into the application:

  1. Neo4j JAR files can be found in the lib directory of the source code. Include all the JAR files present in this directory. Alternatively, the JAR files are also present in the Maven repository.

  2. Add Neo4j to the build path and also add it as a dependency. Detailed information on this can be found at http://docs.neo4j.org/chunked/milestone/tutorials-java-embedded-setup.html.

How to do it...

Let's create our first...

Accessing Neo4j using the Java REST bindings


Neo4j can also be accessed using the Java REST bindings, which allows it to be accessed from remote nodes easily. In this recipe, we will take a look at the ways of accessing Neo4j from Java using the REST bindings.

Getting ready

The Neo4j REST interface provides an easy way to access Neo4j graph database remotely.

Follow these instructions to go through this recipe:

Start the Neo4j graph database server using the following command:

$ ./neo4j start

To check whether the REST interface is running fine, open http://localhost:7474/db/data/ in a browser.

How to do it...

This problem can be dealt with in two ways, which are described as follows:

Developing your own Neo4j REST client

There are many REST Java client libraries that can be utilized to write your own REST API client for Neo4j. The bad part is that you have to deal with all the possible scenarios and error cases. One example is using the Jersey client, which is shown in the following code:

final String...

Mapping Neo4j to Java-annotated classes using Spring Data Neo4j


Spring Data Neo4j can increase the productivity of Java by many folds when dealing with Neo4j. It provides a Plain Old Java Objects (POJO) based programming model that significantly reduces the amount of boilerplate code needed to develop Neo4j-based applications. It helps the developer to think in terms of an object-oriented approach, which is easily extendible to add new data models and enhance existing ones (properties, entities, and relationships).

In this recipe, we will learn the use of Neo4j with Spring Data Neo4j.

Getting ready

To step through this recipe, we will need the following configurations to be set before:

The following is the Maven configuration:

<dependency>
  <groupId>org.springframework.data</groupId>
  <artifactId>spring-data-neo4j</artifactId>
  <version>2.3.1.RELEASE</version>
</dependency>
<repositories>
  <repository>
    <id>spring-neo4j...

Accessing the embedded Neo4j from Python


Python is getting increasingly popular nowadays, and, in this recipe, we will learn how to connect to the Neo4j embedded graph server from the Python client.

Getting ready

Embedded Neo4j is an excellent binding module available in Python to access the Neo4j embedded database. The following steps describe the use of this module:

  1. Install the JPype Python module, as shown in the following command:

    $ sudo apt-get install python-jpype
    

    It can also be installed from the source available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/jpype/files/JPype/.

  2. Install Neo4j embedded using either pip or easy_install, as follows:

    $ pip install neo4j-embedded
    $ easy_install neo4j-embedded
    

How to do it...

Perform the following steps in order to access Neo4j from Python:

  1. Let's create our first node using the following code:

    import neo4j
    db_obj =  neo4j.GraphDatabase(DB_PATH)
    # All write operations on graph database happens in transaction
    with db_obj.transaction:
      node = db_obj.node(name...

Accessing Neo4j from Python using the REST bindings


The REST interface is widely used and in this recipe, we will learn how to access Neo4j from Python using the REST Bindings.

Getting ready

The py2neo module (http://py2neo.org/2.0/) is an excellent Python binding module used to connect to the Neo4j REST API server.

The py2neo module can be installed from both pip and easy_install, as shown here:

$ pip install py2neo
$ easy_install py2neo

How to do it...

The following steps will get you started with this recipe:

  1. First, we will create our first node assuming the default installation, as shown in the following code:

    from py2neo import neo4j
    graph = neo4j.GraphDatabaseService(ENDPOINT_URL)
    graph.create(node(name="A")
  2. Next, let's create our first relation using the py2neo module:

    from py2neo import neo4j
    graph = neo4j.Graph(ENDPOINT_URL)
    graph.create(node(name="A"),
                 node(name="B"))
    rel(1, "PLAYS WITH", 2)
    rel(2, "FATHER OF", 1)

Annotate the Python object model to the Neo4j graph database


In this recipe, we will learn how to map the Python object model to the Neo4j graph database server.

Getting ready

Neomodel is an excellent binding module used for mapping an object model to the Neo4j graph database, thinking in terms of objects and further enhancing properties, relationships, and so on.

Neomodel can be installed from both via pip and easy_install:

$ pip install neomodel
$ easy_install neomodel

Now, set the location of Neo4j via the environment variable:

export NEO4J_REST_URL="http://<ip:port>/db/data"

How to do it...

Let's create our first relationship model using Neomodel, as shown in the following code:

from neomodel import (StructuredNode, StringProperty, IntegerProperty,RelationshipTo, RelationshipFrom)
class Movie(StructuredNode):
    name = StringProperty(unique_index=True, required=True)
    actors = RelationshipFrom('Actor', 'ACTED_IN')
class Actor(StructuredNode):
    name = StringProperty(unique_index...
Left arrow icon Right arrow icon

Description

If you are already using Neo4j in your application and want to learn more about data analysis or database graphs, this is the book for you. This book also caters for your needs if you are looking to migrate your existing application to Neo4j in the future. We assume that you are already familiar with any general purpose programming language and have some familiarity with Neo4j.

Who is this book for?

If you are already using Neo4j in your application and want to learn more about data analysis or database graphs, this is the book for you. This book also caters for your needs if you are looking to migrate your existing application to Neo4j in the future. We assume that you are already familiar with any general purpose programming language and have some familiarity with Neo4j.

What you will learn

  • Access the Neo4j graph database from any language of your choice, whether it is Java, Python, Scala, or .Net
  • Understand how to migrate data from different types of data stores such as SQL and NoSQL with ease
  • Utilize and learn data modeling best practices
  • Use and mine social data, whether it be from Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn
  • Deal with geospatial data and build services such as bounding box queries and nearest point of interest
  • Visualize Neo4j graphs by customizing available tools or writing your own tool
  • Scale Neo4j with up to billions of nodes and edges

Product Details

Country selected
Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : May 28, 2015
Length: 226 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781783287260
Category :
Languages :
Tools :

What do you get with eBook?

Product feature icon Instant access to your Digital eBook purchase
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
OR
Modal Close icon
Payment Processing...
tick Completed

Billing Address

Product Details

Publication date : May 28, 2015
Length: 226 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781783287260
Category :
Languages :
Tools :

Packt Subscriptions

See our plans and pricing
Modal Close icon
€18.99 billed monthly
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Simple pricing, no contract
€189.99 billed annually
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just €5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts
€264.99 billed in 18 months
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just €5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts

Frequently bought together


Stars icon
Total 103.97
Neo4j Graph Data Modelling
€24.99
Learning Neo4j
€41.99
Neo4j Cookbook
€36.99
Total 103.97 Stars icon
Banner background image

Table of Contents

11 Chapters
1. Getting Started with Neo4j Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Connecting to Neo4j Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. The Cypher Query Language Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Data Modeling and Leveraging with Neo4j Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Mining the Social Treasure Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. Developing Location-based Services with Neo4j Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Visualization of Graphs Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. Industry Usages of Neo4j Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
9. Neo4j Administration and Maintenance Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
10. Scaling Neo4j Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 3
(3 Ratings)
5 star 0%
4 star 66.7%
3 star 0%
2 star 0%
1 star 33.3%
CS Oct 10, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
If you have previous knowledge on making graph database applications using Neo4j, this book will help you increase your skills with good examples it have. You can learn to scale your application to more nodes, and lot more with these examples. One of the good books for enhancing your Neo4j skills.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Sumit Pal Oct 08, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
This is a pretty comprehensive book - that almost covers everything you would like to know about Neo4J and how to solve business and technical problems with it. This is one place the reader can go and have an extremely very good idea about Neo4J its capabilities and featuresFor anyone working with Neo4J this is the single reference one needs to go to solve their problems.Most of the examples work as it is out of the box. I have worked pretty extensively with GraphDBs and I love Neo4J.This book could have been 5* had it covered the following - 1) Comparisons with other GraphDBs in the market. 2) Performance improvements 3) Some more treatment of the Basic Graph Algorithms - like TSP and Graph Centrality 4) How Neo4J achieves its speed in terms of the internal data structures2) and 4) are pretty advanced topics.Overall I would highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to start and get going with Neo4J and then run with itEnjoyed the book
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Andrew F. Lee Nov 22, 2019
Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 1
If you could not figure this information out from the documentation, the book is not going to help.Pro Tip: can be used as kindling.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Get free access to Packt library with over 7500+ books and video courses for 7 days!
Start Free Trial

FAQs

How do I buy and download an eBook? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Where there is an eBook version of a title available, you can buy it from the book details for that title. Add either the standalone eBook or the eBook and print book bundle to your shopping cart. Your eBook will show in your cart as a product on its own. After completing checkout and payment in the normal way, you will receive your receipt on the screen containing a link to a personalised PDF download file. This link will remain active for 30 days. You can download backup copies of the file by logging in to your account at any time.

If you already have Adobe reader installed, then clicking on the link will download and open the PDF file directly. If you don't, then save the PDF file on your machine and download the Reader to view it.

Please Note: Packt eBooks are non-returnable and non-refundable.

Packt eBook and Licensing When you buy an eBook from Packt Publishing, completing your purchase means you accept the terms of our licence agreement. Please read the full text of the agreement. In it we have tried to balance the need for the ebook to be usable for you the reader with our needs to protect the rights of us as Publishers and of our authors. In summary, the agreement says:

  • You may make copies of your eBook for your own use onto any machine
  • You may not pass copies of the eBook on to anyone else
How can I make a purchase on your website? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

If you want to purchase a video course, eBook or Bundle (Print+eBook) please follow below steps:

  1. Register on our website using your email address and the password.
  2. Search for the title by name or ISBN using the search option.
  3. Select the title you want to purchase.
  4. Choose the format you wish to purchase the title in; if you order the Print Book, you get a free eBook copy of the same title. 
  5. Proceed with the checkout process (payment to be made using Credit Card, Debit Cart, or PayPal)
Where can I access support around an eBook? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
  • If you experience a problem with using or installing Adobe Reader, the contact Adobe directly.
  • To view the errata for the book, see www.packtpub.com/support and view the pages for the title you have.
  • To view your account details or to download a new copy of the book go to www.packtpub.com/account
  • To contact us directly if a problem is not resolved, use www.packtpub.com/contact-us
What eBook formats do Packt support? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Our eBooks are currently available in a variety of formats such as PDF and ePubs. In the future, this may well change with trends and development in technology, but please note that our PDFs are not Adobe eBook Reader format, which has greater restrictions on security.

You will need to use Adobe Reader v9 or later in order to read Packt's PDF eBooks.

What are the benefits of eBooks? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
  • You can get the information you need immediately
  • You can easily take them with you on a laptop
  • You can download them an unlimited number of times
  • You can print them out
  • They are copy-paste enabled
  • They are searchable
  • There is no password protection
  • They are lower price than print
  • They save resources and space
What is an eBook? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Packt eBooks are a complete electronic version of the print edition, available in PDF and ePub formats. Every piece of content down to the page numbering is the same. Because we save the costs of printing and shipping the book to you, we are able to offer eBooks at a lower cost than print editions.

When you have purchased an eBook, simply login to your account and click on the link in Your Download Area. We recommend you saving the file to your hard drive before opening it.

For optimal viewing of our eBooks, we recommend you download and install the free Adobe Reader version 9.