An Introduction to Cypher for the SQL Developer

Traditionally, if you wanted to query a dataset the only option was to learn SQL and query your relational database or data warehouse. But over the last 5-10 years we’ve seen the emergence of NoSQL databases which have brought with them an array of different database query languages and APIs.

Why We Need Cypher for Connected Data Queries

Neo4j is powered by opens in new tabCypher – the industry’s most widely adopted graph query language. Cypher was invented for declarative querying over data stored in a graph and attempts to convert a diagram you might have drawn on a whiteboard into an opens in new tabASCII art representation that the query planner can process.

By using opens in new tabNeo4j and Cypher, countless users have found that they’re able to reduce the impedance mismatch between the conceptual and physical models of their database. Non-technical users are often surprised and delighted to learn that they can read and understand queries without needing a developer to explain.

Cypher also allows us to easily write complex queries which would require complex query structures in SQL with an order-of-magnitude less code.

Volker Pacher a member of the technical staff at opens in new tabeBay once said: “Our Neo4j solution is literally thousands of times faster than the prior MySQL solution, with queries that require 10-100 times less code.”

Cypher is tailor-made for teams operating in an agile environment iteratively building a product. We can start small with a model and queries that answer the initial set of questions, but over time, move towards a more complex model without needing to undertake an often painful schema migration.

Learn More about Switching to Cypher from SQL

We’ve seen enterprises shift towards graphs and the Cypher query language to speed up queries that SQL was struggling with and to reduce the cost of ownership of those queries. In opens in new tabthis webinar we’ll explore a data set using Neo4j and Cypher and compare the approach we might take with a relational database and SQL.

Join us on opens in new tabThursday, 7th April at 8:30 a.m. PDT (17:30 CEST) for this webinar where you’ll learn how to use Cypher to:

• Model the dataset
• Import the data
• Query the data
• Evolve the model and queries as the data changes

About the Presenter:

opens in new tabMark Needham is a graph advocate and field engineer for the Neo4j team. As a field engineer, Mark helps customers embrace graph data and Neo4j, building sophisticated solutions to challenging data problems. When he’s not with customers, Mark is a developer on Neo4j and writes about his experiences of being a graphista opens in new tabon his blog.


Don’t miss this live webinar Intro to Cypher for the SQL Developer on Thursday, April 7th. Click below to reserve your spot today!