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Mohamed Mokhtar
Mohamed Mokhtar

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Under the hood of create_graph at Apache AGE

#database #tutorial #apacheage #graphdatabas

Introduction

The following article I am going to let you know more about what is going inside the Apache AGE back-end from the perspective of PostgreSQL and give you a brief introduction about the graph creation on PostgreSQL using Apache AGE.
under-the-hood

Let's

Prerequisites

  • PostgreSQL
  • Apache AGE

if you don't have them visit my blogs and you will learn how to install them

The beginning

Mostly everything in Apache AGE is a function that is written in C and being loaded to PostgreSQL as any PL/SQL function

So, create_graph is a function and it is defined on age--1.3.0.sql for example (varies based on version being used)

That how does it look like

CREATE FUNCTION ag_catalog.create_graph(graph_name name) RETURNS void LANGUAGE c AS 'MODULE_PATHNAME';
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How it is implemented?

 PG_FUNCTION_INFO_V1(create_graph); /* function that is evoked for creating a graph */ Datum create_graph(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS) { char *graph; Name graph_name; char *graph_name_str; Oid nsp_id; //if no argument is passed with the function, graph name cannot be null if (PG_ARGISNULL(0)) { ereport(ERROR, (errcode(ERRCODE_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE), errmsg("graph name can not be NULL"))); } //gets graph name as function argument graph_name = PG_GETARG_NAME(0); graph_name_str = NameStr(*graph_name); //checking if the name of the graph falls under the pre-decided graph naming conventions(regex) if (!is_valid_graph_name(graph_name_str)) { ereport(ERROR, (errcode(ERRCODE_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE), errmsg("graph name is invalid"))); } //graph name must be unique, a graph with the same name should not exist if (graph_exists(graph_name_str)) { ereport(ERROR, (errcode(ERRCODE_UNDEFINED_SCHEMA), errmsg("graph \"%s\" already exists", graph_name_str))); } nsp_id = create_schema_for_graph(graph_name); //inserts the graph info into the relation which has all the other existing graphs info insert_graph(graph_name, nsp_id); //Increment the Command counter before create the generic labels. CommandCounterIncrement(); //Create the default label tables graph = graph_name->data; create_label(graph, AG_DEFAULT_LABEL_VERTEX, LABEL_TYPE_VERTEX, NIL); create_label(graph, AG_DEFAULT_LABEL_EDGE, LABEL_TYPE_EDGE, NIL); ereport(NOTICE, (errmsg("graph \"%s\" has been created", NameStr(*graph_name)))); //according to postgres specification of c-language functions if function returns void this is the syntax PG_RETURN_VOID(); }
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What are the most interesting parts

  • Creating a namespace (schema) for that graph 
 /* * This is the same with running the following SQL statement. * * CREATE SCHEMA `graph_name` * CREATE SEQUENCE `LABEL_ID_SEQ_NAME` * AS integer * MAXVALUE `LABEL_ID_MAX` * CYCLE * The sequence will be used to assign a unique id to a label in the graph. * * schemaname doesn't have to be graph_name but the same name is used so * that users can find the backed schema for a graph only by its name. * * ProcessUtilityContext of this command is PROCESS_UTILITY_SUBCOMMAND * so the event trigger will not be fired. */ nsp_id = create_schema_for_graph(graph_name);
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  • Creates new entry on the ag_catalog at the graphs table 
// INSERT INTO ag_catalog.ag_graph VALUES (graph_name, nsp_id) // =  insert_graph(graph_name, nsp_id);
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  • The following statements creates a table for holding the labels of (vertex and edges) 
 graph = graph_name->data; create_label(graph, AG_DEFAULT_LABEL_VERTEX, LABEL_TYPE_VERTEX, NIL); create_label(graph, AG_DEFAULT_LABEL_EDGE, LABEL_TYPE_EDGE, NIL);
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Conclusion

  • Create namespace (schema)
  • Insert into ag_catalog graphs table a new entry for it
  • Create Vertex labels table inside the create namespace
  • Create Edge labels table inside the create namespace

See you in next AGE statement under the hood

Resources and References

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