CONTRIBUTING

Contributing to Apache AGE

Welcome, future Contributor!

First off, thank you for considering contributing to Apache AGE. Team AGE welcomes anyone who is willing to help us mature AGE to become a fully-featured graph database extension for PostgreSQL.

There are multiple ways you can contribute to the Apache AGE and Apache AGE Viewer projects. We hope that adding features, fixing bugs, and changing documentations can be fun and educational for anyone and everyone.

Code of Conduct

The community members of Apache AGE are expected to follow the 'Apache Way'. Please read the Code of Conduct provided by Apache Software Foundation.

How to Start

A great way to get involved in the project is to ask questions on the mailing lists, Apache AGE Discord, or the Apache Reddit forum (r/apacheage). Reviewing the list of projects in the Apache AGE and AGE Viewer GitHubs may help you understand the overall roadmap.

Once you understand the ins and outs of Apache AGE, share your knowledge by helping the newcomers as well. Spending a few minutes to answer questions are a valuable open source community service, which also demonstrates your expertise.

We strongly recommend you to subscribe the mailing lists, join the Apache AGE Discord and Apache AGE Reddit community (r/apacheage) to keep up to date on what's happening in AGE. Visit joinus for pathways you can follow to help you get started.

Pull Requests

Changes to AGE source code are proposed, reviewed, and committed via Github pull requests (described in Code Convention). Pull requests are a great way to get your ideas into this repository. Anyone can view and comment on active changes here. Reviewing others' changes are a good way to learn how the change process works and gain exposure to activity in various parts of the code. You can help by reviewing the changes, asking questions, or pointing out issues as simple as typos.

Documentation Changes

You can propose changes to Apache AGE documentation, edit the Markdown source files for the Apache AGE website pages.

Bug Reports

Ideally, bug reports are accompanied by a proposed code change to fix the bug. This isn't always possible, as those who discover a bug may not have the experience to fix it. A bug may be reported by creating a GitHub issue, but without creating a pull request.

Bug reports are only useful, however, if they include enough information to understand, isolate and ideally reproduce the bug. Simply encountering an error does not mean a bug should be reported; search GitHub and inquire on the Apache AGE's dev mailing list first. Unreproducible bugs or simple error reports without context shall be closed.

The more context about a bug, the better, such as: how the bug was introduced, by which commit, etc. It assists the committers in the decision process on how far the bug fix should be backported, when the pull request is merged. The pull request to fix the bug should narrow down the problem to the root cause. Data correctness/data loss bugs are very serious. Make sure the corresponding bug report GitHub issue is labeled as correctness or data-loss. Please send an email to [email protected] after submitting the bug report, to quickly draw attention to the issue. Performance issues are classified as bugs. The pull request to fix a performance bug must provide a benchmark to prove the problem is indeed fixed.

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README

<br>

<h3 align="center">
<a href="https://age.apache.org/age-manual/master/_static/logo.png" target="_blank">
<img src="https://age.apache.org/age-manual/master/_static/logo.png" height="25" height="30% alt="Apache AGE style="margin: 0 0 -3px 0">
</a>
<a href="https://age.apache.org/age-manual/master/_static/logo.png" target="_blank">
</a>
is a leading multi-model graph database </h3>

</h3>

<h3 align="center">Graph Processing & Analytics for Relational Databases</h3>

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</br>

</p>

<br>

<h2><img height="30" src="/img/AGE.png">  What is Apache AGE?</h2>

Apache AGE is an extension for PostgreSQL that enables users to leverage a graph database on top of the existing relational databases. AGE is an acronym for A Graph Extension and is inspired by Bitnine's AgensGraph, a multi-model database fork of PostgreSQL. The basic principle of the project is to create a single storage that handles both the relational and graph data model so that the users can use the standard ANSI SQL along with openCypher, one of the most popular graph query languages today. There is a strong need for cohesive, easy-to-implement multi-model databases. As an extension of PostgreSQL, AGE supports all the functionalities and features of PostgreSQL while also offering a graph model to boot.
</br>
</br>
</br>

</br>

<h2><img height="30" src="/img/tick.svg">  Overview</h2>

Apache AGE is :

- Powerful: adds graph database support to the already popular PostgreSQL database: PostgreSQL is used by organizations including Apple, Spotify, and NASA.
- Flexible: allows you to perform openCypher queries, which makes complex queries much easier to write. It also enables querying multiple graphs at the same time.
- Intelligent: allows you to perform graph queries that are the basis for many next-level web services such as fraud detection, master data management, product recommendations, identity and relationship management, experience personalization, knowledge management, and more.

<h2><img height="30" src="/img/features.svg">  Features</h2>
</br>
</br>

- Cypher Query: supports graph query language
- Hybrid Querying: enables SQL and/or Cypher
- Querying: enables multiple graphs
- Hierarchical: graph label organization
- Property Indexes: on both vertices(nodes) and edges
- Full PostgreSQL: supports PG features

<h2><img height="30" src="/img/documentation.svg">  Documentation</h2>

Refer to our latest Apache AGE documentation to learn about installation, features, built-in functions, and Cypher queries.

<h2><img height="30" src="/img/installation.svg">  Pre-Installation</h2>

Install the following essential libraries according to each OS. Building AGE from the source depends on the following Linux libraries:

- CentOS

bash

yum install gcc glibc glib-common readline readline-devel zlib zlib-devel flex bison

- Fedora

bash

dnf install gcc glibc bison flex readline readline-devel zlib zlib-devel

- Ubuntu

bash

sudo apt-get install build-essential libreadline-dev zlib1g-dev flex bison

<h2><img height="30" src="/img/installation.svg">  Installation</h2>

Apache AGE is intended to be simple to install and run. It can be installed with Docker and other traditional ways.

<h4><a><img width="20" src="/img/pg.svg"></a>
 Install PostgreSQL
</h4>

You will need to install an AGE compatible version of Postgres<a>, for now AGE supports Postgres 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 & 18. Supporting the latest versions is on AGE roadmap.

<h4>
 Installation via Package Manager
</h4>

You can use a <a href="https://www.postgresql.org/download/">package management </a> that your OS provides to download PostgreSQL.

<br>

bash

sudo apt install postgresql

<h4>
 Installation From Source Code
</h4>

You can <a href="https://www.postgresql.org/ftp/source/"> download the Postgres </a> source code and install your own instance of Postgres. You can read instructions on how to install from source code for different versions on the <a href="https://www.postgresql.org/docs/18/installation.html">official Postgres Website.</a>

<h4><img width="20" src="/img/tux.svg"><img width="20" src="/img/apple.svg">  Install AGE on Linux and MacOS
</h4>

Clone the <a href="https://github.com/apache/age">github repository</a> or download the <a href="https://github.com/apache/age/releases">download an official release.
</a>
Run the pg_config utility and check the version of PostgreSQL. Currently, only PostgreSQL versions 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 & 18 are supported. If you have any other version of Postgres, you will need to install PostgreSQL version 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 & 18.
<br>

bash

pg_config

Run the following command in the source code directory of Apache AGE to build and install the extension.

bash

make install

If the path to your Postgres installation is not in the PATH variable, add the path in the arguments:

bash

make PG_CONFIG=/path/to/postgres/bin/pg_config install

<h4></a><img width="30" src="/img/docker.svg"></a>
 Run using Docker
</h4>

<h5> Get the docker image </h5>

bash

docker pull apache/age

<h5> Create AGE docker container </h5>

bash

docker run \
    --name age  \
    -p 5455:5432 \
    -e POSTGRES_USER=postgresUser \
    -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgresPW \
    -e POSTGRES_DB=postgresDB \
    -d \
    apache/age

<h5> Enter PostgreSQL's psql: </h5>

bash

docker exec -it age psql -d postgresDB -U postgresUser

<h2><img height="20" src="/img/contents.svg">  Post Installation</h2>

For every connection of AGE you start, you will need to load the AGE extension.

bash

CREATE EXTENSION age;

bash

LOAD 'age';

bash

SET search_path = ag_catalog, "$user", public;

Note on `ag_catalog` ownership

AGE installs all of its objects into the ag_catalog schema. Install AGE
(CREATE EXTENSION age) before granting the CREATE privilege on the
database to other roles. A role that can create schemas could otherwise
pre-create ag_catalog and own it; CREATE EXTENSION age therefore refuses to
install when ag_catalog already exists and is owned by a different role. If you
hit that error, drop the stray schema (DROP SCHEMA ag_catalog CASCADE) or
transfer its ownership to the installing role, then retry.

<h2><img height="20" src="/img/contents.svg">  Using AGE with Non-Autocommit Clients (psycopg, JDBC, etc.)</h2>

If you are using AGE from a database client that does not default to autocommit — most commonly psycopg v3 or JDBC — you must understand how PostgreSQL's transaction semantics apply to AGE's setup and DDL-like functions. Otherwise, you may see graphs or labels that appear to be created successfully, but are not visible from new connections.

This is not a bug in AGE — it is standard PostgreSQL behavior. AGE's DDL-like functions write to the catalog, and catalog writes only become visible to other sessions after the enclosing transaction is committed.

What is and isn't transactional

| Statement | Scope | Needs commit to be visible elsewhere? |
|---|---|---|
| LOAD 'age' | Session-local (loads the .so into the current backend) | No |
| SET search_path = ag_catalog, "$user", public | Session-local | No |
| SELECT create_graph('g') | Writes to ag_graph and creates a schema | Yes |
| SELECT create_vlabel('g', 'L') / create_elabel(...) | Writes to ag_label and creates a table | Yes |
| SELECT drop_graph('g', true) / drop_label(...) | Writes to catalog | Yes |
| SELECT load_labels_from_file(...) / load_edges_from_file(...) | Writes to catalog + data | Yes |
| cypher('g', $$ CREATE (:L {...}) $$) | Writes data | Yes |

In a client that defaults to autocommit (e.g. psql), every statement commits automatically, so this is never noticed. In a non-autocommit client, the first statement you run implicitly opens a transaction that stays open until you call commit(), rollback(), or close the connection.

psycopg v3 — the "savepoint gotcha"

The common pitfall is that with connection.transaction(): in psycopg does not start a new top-level transaction when one is already open — it creates a savepoint inside the existing outer transaction. Releasing a savepoint is not a commit, so your create_graph write stays invisible to other sessions until the outer transaction is explicitly committed.

#### ❌ Broken: graph is not visible from a new connection

python

import psycopg
params = {"host": "localhost", "port": 5432, "user": "postgres",
          "password": "pw", "dbname": "mydb"}
--- First connection ---

conn = psycopg.connect(params)
conn.execute("LOAD 'age'")                                      # implicitly opens a txn
conn.execute("SET search_path = ag_catalog, '$user', public")
with conn.transaction(), conn.cursor() as cur:                  # <-- SAVEPOINT, not a real txn
    cur.execute("SELECT * FROM create_graph('my_graph')")
outer transaction is STILL OPEN here
conn.close()  # outer transaction is rolled back on close → my_graph is gone
--- New connection ---

conn = psycopg.connect(params)
conn.execute("LOAD 'age'")
conn.execute("SET search_path = ag_catalog, '$user', public")
with conn.cursor() as cur:
    cur.execute("SELECT name FROM ag_graph;")
    # 'my_graph' is NOT in the results

#### ✅ Fix 1: explicit commit() after setup

python

conn = psycopg.connect(params)
conn.execute("LOAD 'age'")
conn.execute("SET search_path = ag_catalog, '$user', public")
conn.commit()   # <-- closes the implicit outer txn
with conn.transaction(), conn.cursor() as cur:
    cur.execute("SELECT * FROM create_graph('my_graph')")
this transaction block is now top-level and commits on exit

conn.close()

#### ✅ Fix 2: enable autocommit on the connection

python

conn = psycopg.connect(params, autocommit=True)
conn.execute("LOAD 'age'")
conn.execute("SET search_path = ag_catalog, '$user', public")
conn.execute("SELECT * FROM create_graph('my_graph')")          # commits immediately
conn.close()

You can also toggle autocommit at runtime with conn.set_autocommit(True).

JDBC

JDBC connections also default to autocommit true per the JDBC spec, but many frameworks (Spring, etc.) flip it off. If you are running AGE DDL-like calls from JDBC, either:

java

connection.setAutoCommit(true);
// ... LOAD 'age'; SET search_path ...; SELECT create_graph(...);

or keep autocommit off and explicitly commit after DDL-like calls:

java

stmt.execute("LOAD 'age'");
stmt.execute("SET search_path = ag_catalog, \"$user\", public;");
stmt.execute("SELECT create_graph('my_graph');");
connection.commit();   // make the graph visible to other sessions

Rule of thumb

If an AGE call creates, drops, or modifies a graph, label, vertex, edge, or property, it is a transactional write. In a non-autocommit client, it will not be visible to other sessions until you explicitly commit().

<h2><img height="20" src="/img/contents.svg">  Quick Start</h2>

To create a graph, use the create_graph function located in the ag_catalog namespace.

bash

SELECT create_graph('graph_name');

To create a single vertex with label and properties, use the CREATE clause.

bash

SELECT * 
FROM cypher('graph_name', $$
    CREATE (:label {property:"Node A"})
$$) as (v agtype);

bash

SELECT * 
FROM cypher('graph_name', $$
    CREATE (:label {property:"Node B"})
$$) as (v agtype);

To create an edge between two nodes and set its properties:

bash

SELECT * 
FROM cypher('graph_name', $$
    MATCH (a:label), (b:label)
    WHERE a.property = 'Node A' AND b.property = 'Node B'
    CREATE (a)-[e:RELTYPE {property:a.property + '<->' + b.property}]->(b)
    RETURN e
$$) as (e agtype);

And to query the connected nodes:

text

SELECT * from cypher('graph_name', $$
        MATCH (V)-[R]-(V2)
        RETURN V,R,V2
$$) as (V agtype, R agtype, V2 agtype);

<h2><img height="20" src="/img/gettingstarted.svg">  Language Specific Drivers</h2>

Starting with Apache AGE is very simple. You can easily select your platform and incorporate the relevant SDK into your code.
</br>
</br>

<h4>Built-in</h4>

- Go driver
- Java driver
- NodeJs driver
- Python driver

<h4>Community-driven Driver</h4>

- Apache AGE Rust Driver
- Apache AGE .NET Driver

<h2><img height="20" src="/img/visualization.svg">  Graph Visualization Tool for AGE</h2>

Apache AGE Viewer is a user interface for Apache AGE that provides visualization and exploration of data.
This web visualization tool allows users to enter complex graph queries and explore the results in graph and table forms.
Apache AGE Viewer is enhanced to proceed with extensive graph data and discover insights through various graph algorithms.
Apache AGE Viewer will become a graph data administration and development platform for Apache AGE to support multiple relational databases: <https://github.com/apache/age-viewer>.

This is a visualization tool.
After installing AGE Extension, you may use this tool to get access to the visualization features.

<h2><img height="20" src="/img/videos.png">  Video Links</h2>

You can also get help from these videos.

- Install on Windows
- Install on MacOS

<h2><img height="20" src="/img/community.svg">  Contributing</h2>

You can improve ongoing efforts or initiate new ones by sending pull requests to this repository.
Also, you can learn from the code review process, how to merge pull requests, and from code style compliance to documentation by visiting the Apache AGE official site - Developer Guidelines.
Send all your comments and inquiries to the user mailing list, [email protected].

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CONTRIBUTING Copy Section

Contributing to Apache AGE

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How to Start Copy Chapter

Pull Requests Copy Chapter

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Bug Reports Copy Chapter

README Copy Section

Note on ag_catalog ownership ag_catalog ownership')" title="Copy section prompt for LLMs"> Copy Section

What is and isn't transactional Copy Section

psycopg v3 — the "savepoint gotcha" Copy Section

--- First connection ---

outer transaction is STILL OPEN here

--- New connection ---

this transaction block is now top-level and commits on exit

JDBC Copy Section

Rule of thumb Copy Section

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How to Start

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Documentation Changes

Bug Reports

README

Note on `ag_catalog` ownership

What is and isn't transactional

psycopg v3 — the "savepoint gotcha"

JDBC

Rule of thumb