Importing Data Fundamentals

Who this course is for

This course is for data engineers and developers who need to get data into Neo4j and want a reliable, repeatable way to do it. If you have already modeled a graph and now need to turn a folder of CSV files into a running graph, this is where that work becomes concrete. You do not need to be a CypherNeo4j's implementation of GQL, the ISO standard query language for graph databases. It is declarative: you describe the pattern to find, and the database decides how to find it. expert, because the Data ImporterThe Neo4j tool for loading CSV files into a graph by mapping their columns onto nodes and relationships. does the heavy lifting through a visual interface, but you should know the basics covered in Neo4j Fundamentals, Cypher Fundamentals, and Graph Data Modeling Fundamentals so you can describe what the importer creates and query the result to confirm the import worked as intended.

What you'll do

This is a hands-on course built around a single practical task: importing a movie dataset into Neo4j from CSV. You will start with an overview of the different ways to import data, from LOAD CSV and the official drivers to the neo4j-admin database import command, so you can pick the right tool for a given job.

Then you do the work. You will open the Neo4j Data ImporterThe Neo4j tool for loading CSV files into a graph by mapping their columns onto nodes and relationships., load a set of CSV files, and map their columns onto a graph model. You will create Movie nodesA vertex in a graph. In a property graph it can carry labels and properties. and give them propertiesA named value stored on a node or a relationship. with explicit data types, so numbers and dates are stored correctly rather than everything landing as a string. You will set a unique ID for each node and back it with a uniqueness constraint, add an index to speed up lookups, create directed relationshipsA relationship that runs one way, from its start node to its end node. Every relationship Neo4j stores is directed. between your nodes, and import user rating data that connects people to the movies they have watched. By the end you will have taken a folder of flat files and produced a connected graph you can query, using a workflow that transfers directly to your own data.

Where to go next

The Data ImporterThe Neo4j tool for loading CSV files into a graph by mapping their columns onto nodes and relationships. is a great starting point, but not the only approach worth knowing. Importing CSV data into Neo4j shows you how to import data using CypherNeo4j's implementation of GQL, the ISO standard query language for graph databases. It is declarative: you describe the pattern to find, and the database decides how to find it. directly, giving you finer control than the visual tool and a path to scripting your imports, while LOAD CSV Data Import goes deep on the LOAD CSV clause, including larger files and transactions. Importing is also a topic on the exam for the Neo4j Certified Professional certification, so the skills you build here count toward earning that credential.