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Graph Data Model

The graph data model is the foundation of Graphora’s knowledge representation. It allows you to model complex relationships between entities in a natural and intuitive way. This page explains the key components of the graph data model and how to work with them in the Graphora client library.

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Core Components

The Graphora graph data model consists of two primary components:

Nodes

Represent entities in your domain, such as people, companies, or documents

Edges

Represent relationships between entities, such as employment or ownership

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Nodes

Nodes (also called vertices) represent entities in your domain. Each node has:
  • A unique ID
  • One or more labels (entity types)
  • A set of properties (key-value pairs)
In the Graphora client library, nodes are represented by the Node class: 
from graphora.models import Node

node = Node(
    id="person-123",
    labels=["Person", "Employee"],
    properties={
        "name": "Jane Doe",
        "email": "jane.doe@example.com",
        "age": 32
    }
)

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Edges

Edges (also called relationships) represent connections between nodes. Each edge has:
  • A unique ID
  • A type (relationship type)
  • Source and target node IDs
  • Optional properties (key-value pairs)
In the Graphora client library, edges are represented by the Edge class: 
from graphora.models import Edge

edge = Edge(
    id="works-at-456",
    type="WORKS_AT",
    source="person-123",
    target="company-789",
    properties={
        "role": "Software Engineer",
        "start_date": "2020-01-15"
    }
)

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Working with Graph Data

The Graphora client library provides methods for retrieving and manipulating graph data:

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Retrieving Graph Data

from graphora import GraphoraClient

client = GraphoraClient(base_url="https://api.graphora.io")

# Get graph data for a transformation
graph = client.get_transformed_graph(transform_id="your-transform-id")

# Print summary
print(f"Graph has {len(graph.nodes)} nodes and {len(graph.edges)} edges")

# Access nodes and edges
for node in graph.nodes:
    print(f"Node {node.id}: {node.labels}")
    print(f"  Properties: {node.properties}")

for edge in graph.edges:
    print(f"Edge {edge.id}: {edge.type}")
    print(f"  From: {edge.source} To: {edge.target}")
    print(f"  Properties: {edge.properties}")

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Modifying Graph Data

You can make changes to the graph by creating, updating, or deleting nodes and edges: 
from graphora import GraphoraClient
from graphora.models import SaveGraphRequest, NodeChange, EdgeChange

client = GraphoraClient(base_url="https://api.graphora.io")

# Prepare changes
node_changes = [
    # Add a new node
    NodeChange(
        id=None,  # None for new nodes
        labels=["Person"],
        properties={
            "name": "John Smith",
            "email": "john.smith@example.com"
        },
        is_deleted=False
    ),
    # Update an existing node
    NodeChange(
        id="person-123",
        labels=["Person", "Manager"],  # Updated labels
        properties={
            "name": "Jane Doe",
            "email": "jane.doe@example.com",
            "title": "Senior Engineer"  # Added property
        },
        is_deleted=False
    ),
    # Delete a node
    NodeChange(
        id="person-456",
        labels=["Person"],
        properties={},
        is_deleted=True
    )
]

edge_changes = [
    # Add a new edge
    EdgeChange(
        id=None,  # None for new edges
        type="REPORTS_TO",
        source="person-789",
        target="person-123",
        properties={
            "since": "2022-03-01"
        },
        is_deleted=False
    ),
    # Delete an edge
    EdgeChange(
        id="works-at-456",
        type="WORKS_AT",
        source="person-123",
        target="company-789",
        properties={},
        is_deleted=True
    )
]

# Create the save request
save_request = SaveGraphRequest(
    nodes=node_changes,
    edges=edge_changes
)

# Save the changes
response = client.update_transform_graph(
    transform_id="your-transform-id",
    changes=save_request
)

# Get the updated graph
updated_graph = response.data
print(f"Updated graph has {len(updated_graph.nodes)} nodes and {len(updated_graph.edges)} edges")

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Graph Traversal and Analysis

While the Graphora client library doesn’t provide direct graph traversal capabilities, you can implement them using the retrieved graph data: 
# Simple graph traversal example
def find_connected_nodes(graph, start_node_id, relationship_type=None):
    """Find nodes connected to the start node."""
    connected_nodes = []
    
    for edge in graph.edges:
        if edge.source == start_node_id:
            if relationship_type is None or edge.type == relationship_type:
                # Find the target node
                target_node = next((node for node in graph.nodes if node.id == edge.target), None)
                if target_node:
                    connected_nodes.append((edge, target_node))
    
    return connected_nodes

# Usage
graph = client.get_transformed_graph(transform_id="your-transform-id")
connections = find_connected_nodes(graph, "person-123", "WORKS_AT")

for edge, node in connections:
    print(f"{edge.type} -> {node.properties.get('name', node.id)}")

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Graph Visualization

While the Graphora client library doesn’t include visualization capabilities, you can export the graph data to popular graph visualization libraries: 
import networkx as nx
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

def visualize_graph(graph):
    """Visualize a Graphora graph using NetworkX."""
    G = nx.DiGraph()
    
    # Add nodes
    for node in graph.nodes:
        G.add_node(node.id, labels=node.labels, **node.properties)
    
    # Add edges
    for edge in graph.edges:
        G.add_edge(edge.source, edge.target, type=edge.type, **edge.properties)
    
    # Draw the graph
    plt.figure(figsize=(12, 8))
    pos = nx.spring_layout(G)
    nx.draw(G, pos, with_labels=True, node_color="lightblue", 
            node_size=1500, arrowsize=20, font_size=10)
    
    # Add edge labels
    edge_labels = {(e.source, e.target): e.type for e in graph.edges}
    nx.draw_networkx_edge_labels(G, pos, edge_labels=edge_labels)
    
    plt.title("Graphora Knowledge Graph")
    plt.axis("off")
    plt.show()

# Usage
graph = client.get_transformed_graph(transform_id="your-transform-id")
visualize_graph(graph)

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Best Practices for Working with Graph Data

To effectively work with graph data in Graphora:
  1. Use meaningful node IDs: Choose IDs that reflect the entity’s identity
  2. Keep node labels consistent: Align labels with your ontology entity types
  3. Structure properties carefully: Use consistent property names and types
  4. Batch graph modifications: Group related changes in a single update
  5. Handle large graphs efficiently: Use pagination for large graphs
  6. Consider graph partitioning: Organize data into logical subgraphs

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Next Steps