Graphite Docs

Welcome to Graphite documentation, here is a place for guides, examples, and API references of graphite module.

Graphite is a lightweight yet flexible graph database engine implemented in pure Python. It is designed to model graph-like data inside large Python codebases without introducing the complexity of an external database.

Features

  • 🧩 Embedded by Design: Graphite is not a separate service or infrastructure dependency. It lives inside your project, evolves with it, and collaborates naturally with your existing code. No servers. No ports. No deployment headaches.
  • 🛠 Ready-made, Customizable Module: Graphite is intentionally simple and hackable. You can fork it, modify it, or deeply integrate it into your project without fighting rigid abstractions. The database adapts to your project — not the other way around.
  • 🐍 Native Python API: Everything is done through Python APIs. No query strings. DSL parsing is just an optional layer. No context switching. Your editor already knows how to autocomplete and document your queries.
  • 🔍 Query? It’s Code: Queries are built by chaining Python functions on the QueryResult object. Zero parsing cost, Full IDE support, Refactor-safe, and Debuggable.
  • 🔄 Runtime Evolution: Change structures, data, or even engine behavior at runtime. No shutdowns. No migrations. No waiting.
  • 🧱 Structure-Oriented Modeling: Define node types, relation types, fields, base types, and valid forms. Model your domain explicitly and safely.
  • 🧬 Node Inheritance: Create base node types and extend them with shared properties and advanced relationships.
  • ✨ Simple, Predictable Syntax: From defining structures to querying data, every step favors clarity and minimal syntax.
  • 💾 Serializable: Persist the entire database into a single file.

Usage

See quick start page for installation guide and a usage example.

Why Graphite?

Graphite was extracted from a large production codebase where Neo4j introduced more complexity than value.

Neo4j is a powerful tool — but in large projects, adding a separate graph database often increases:

  • infrastructure complexity
  • deployment cost
  • maintenance burden
  • cognitive load on developers

Graphite exists for cases where this cost is not justified.

It provides graph modeling without adding another system to operate.

Comparation

Feature Neo4j Graphite Custom Graph Engine
Bug Safety 🥇Very High:
Mature & tested		 🥈High:
Unit tests, monitored		 🥉Low-Medium:
You manage testing
Implementation 🥈High:
Setup & Cypher		 🥇Low:
Embed easily		 🥉Very High:
Build from scratch
Flexibility 🥈High:
Complex queries		 🥉Medium:
Limited but extendable		 🥇Very High:
Fully customizable
Performance 🥇High:
Optimized large data		 🥈Medium:
Good for small/medium		 ❓Unknown:
Depends on design
Scalability 🥇High:
Cluster & sharding		 🥈Medium:
Single-node & Base types		 ❓Unknown:
Possible but hard
Support / Community 🥇Very High:
Large & active		 🥈Medium:
Docstrings only		 🥉Low:
Internal only
Customizability 🥉Low:
Limited to API		 🥈High:
Open source		 🥇Very High:
Full control
Ease of Use 🥈Medium:
Learn Cypher		 🥇High:
Quick & simple		 🥉Low:
Needs study & test