Graph query language

[clemsos]

We have been discussing how we could implement a graph query language into Topogram and how it could become a core feature to store interactions that users are making in the UI. Mostly, it should start with the most basic idea : creating a new node from a text field, then create an edge etc - see #114

There is already a first spec of the syntax for the query language and even a working example on Code Pen .Next step should be real-world implementation in Topogram, maybe using Redux and its reducers #125.

I just want to make sure that we are we not reinventing the wheel here, so did a bit of homework on what is already available out there.

This is a good starter : Graph Databases for Beginners: Why a Database Query Language Matters

From WIkipedia

Retrieving data from a graph database requires new concepts and generally a new query language. As of 2016, no other single graph query language has risen to prominence in the same fashion as SQL did for relational databases, and there are a wide variety of systems - most often tightly tied to a particular product.

Indeed this looks like an unanswered question : What is the simplest language for querying a graph database?

What does exist

• Gremlin, a programming language well supported on many graph dbs
• Cypher by Neo4j
• SPARQL, the RDF query language
• Many attempts to mimick SQL like NQL and different scientific / papers

Cypher looks like the most widely used, but then I guess there is a common agreement on how flawed and cumbersome it looks

So we may as well start afresh by ourselves. I think our spec is convincing.
The main difference with all the existing tool is that, unlike a programming language, it is not designed for programmers but for average users that needs to manipulate graphs.

[clemsos]

Here is the query language implementation : https://github.com/topogram/topoquery