Get Query | Vaticle

Retrieve Concept Types and Their Instances
Get the Variables
Limit the Answers
Sort the Answers
Offset the Answers
Clients Guide
Summary

Retrieve Concept Types and Their Instances

The get query triggers a search in the knowledge graph based on what has been described in the preceding match clause. To try the following examples with one of the TypeDB clients, follows these Clients Guide.

Get the Variables

Any variable that has been specified in the match clause can be returned as the answers of the get query. Let’s look at an example of how variables can be asked for in the answer.

[tab:TypeQL] ```typeql match $fr ($x, $y) isa friendship; $x isa person, has full-name $x-fn; $x-fn contains "Miriam"; $y isa person, has full-name $y-fn, has phone-number $y-pn; get $x-fn, $y-fn, $y-pn; ``` [tab:end] [tab:Java] ```java TypeQLMatch.Filtered query = TypeQL.match( var("fr").rel("x").rel("y").isa("friendship"), var("x").isa("person").has("full-name", var("x-fn")), var("x-fn").contains("Miriam"), var("y").isa("person").has("full-name", var("y-fn")).has("phone-number", var("y-pn")) ).get("x-fn", "y-fn", "y-pn"); ``` [tab:end]

If the get clause is omitted, all variables specified in the match clause are returned.

Limit the Answers

We can chose to limit the number of answers in the results. To do this, we use the limit keyword followed by the desired number of answers.

[tab:TypeQL] ```typeql match $p isa person; get $p; limit 1; ``` [tab:end] [tab:Java] ```java TypeQLMatch.Limited query = TypeQL.match( var("p").isa("person") ).get("p").limit(1); ``` [tab:end]

This query returns only one single (and random) instance of type person.

Sort the Answers

To sort the answers by a particular variable, we use the sort keyword followed by the variable by which we would like the results to be sorted. A second argument, asc (ascending) or desc (descending), determines the sorting method.

[tab:TypeQL] ```typeql match $p isa person, has full-name $fn; get $fn; sort $fn asc; ``` [tab:end] [tab:Java] ```java TypeQLMatch.Sorted query = TypeQL.match( var("p").isa("person").has("full-name", var("fn")) ).get("fn").sort(pair("fn", "asc")); ``` [tab:end]

This query returns all instances of the person (entity) type sorted by their full-name.

Offset the Answers

Often used in conjunction with limit, we use the offset keyword followed by the number we would like the answers to be offset by. This is commonly used to return a desired range of the answers.

[tab:TypeQL] ```typeql match $p isa person, has full-name $fn; get $fn; sort $fn; offset 6; limit 10; ``` [tab:end] [tab:Java] ```java TypeQLMatch.Limited query = TypeQL.match( var("p").isa("person").has("full-name", var("fn")) ).get("fn").sort("fn").offset(6).limit(10); ``` [tab:end]

This returns 10 instances of the person (entity) type starting from the 6th person sorted by their full-name. If no sorting method argument is provided (i.e. asc or desc), we sort in ascending order.

Clients Guide

[Note] **For those developing with Client [Java](../client-api/java)**: Executing a `get` query, is as simple as calling the [`query().match()`](../client-api/java) method on a transaction and passing the query object to it.

[Note] **For those developing with Client [Node.js](../client-api/nodejs)**: Executing a `get` query, is as simple as passing the TypeQL(string) query to the `query().match()` function available on the [`transaction`](../client-api/nodejs#transaction) object.

[Note] **For those developing with Client [Python](../client-api/python)**: Executing a `get` query, is as simple as passing the TypeQL(string) query to the `query().match()` method available on the [`transaction`](../client-api/python#transaction) object.

Summary

A get query is used to extract information out of the knowledge graph by describing the desired result in the preceding match clause. We use the modifiers limit, sort and offset to retrieve an optionally sorted subset of the matched instances.

Next, we learn how to insert data into a TypeDB knowledge graph.