Graph Tip

You can use SHORTEST_PATH between any two documents in your database, provided there are edges connecting them.

Graph Queries

Perform native graph traversals and pattern matching directly within SoliDB using simple SDBQL extensions.

Overview

SoliDB treats every document relation as a graph edge. No special setup is required—just use standard collections and documents to model nodes and edges.

Vertices

Regular documents in any collection. Examples: Users, Products, Locations.

Edges

Documents that connect two vertices via `_from` and `_to` fields.

Collection Types

SoliDB supports two types of collections for graph modeling:

Document Standard collections used to store vertices (nodes). Contains your data objects.
Edge Special collections used to store edges (relationships). These documents MUST contain `_from` and `_to` fields.

Creating Edge Collections

POST /_api/database/_system/collection

{
  "name": "friendships",
  "type": 2  // 2 for Edge Collection (default is 1 for Document)
}

Or use the "Create" button in the Collections dashboard and select "Edge Collection".

Edge Documents

Edge documents are normal JSON documents but require two system fields:

{
  "_from": "users/alice",
  "_to": "users/bob",
  "type": "friend_request",
  "created_at": 123456789
}

SDBQL Graph Queries

Use the `TRAVERSE` keyword to walk the graph.

TRAVERSE OUTBOUND | INBOUND | ANY
FROM start_vertex
VIA edge_collection
DEPTH 1..3

Parameters

Direction

`OUTBOUND` (follows edges pointing away), `INBOUND` (points to), or `ANY` (both).

start_vertex

The `_id` of the document to start traversing from (e.g., `users/123`).

edge_collection

The collection containing the edge relationships.

Common Patterns

Find Friends of Friends

Social Network

FOR user IN users
  FILTER user._key == 'alice'
  FOR friend IN OUTBOUND user 
  GRAPH 'friendships'
  OPTIONS { bfs: true, uniqueVertices: 'global' }
  RETURN friend.name

This query starts at Alice, follows outgoing edges in the `friendships` graph for depth 1, and returns names of found vertices.

Shortest Path

Routing

FOR p IN OUTBOUND SHORTEST_PATH
  'cities/paris' TO 'cities/berlin'
  GRAPH 'roads'
  RETURN p.name

Finds the shortest sequence of vertices connecting Paris to Berlin using the logic defined in the `roads` graph.

Contents