In this chapter, you first created a Neo4j database using the Java API. It details how Neo4j works with nodes and relationships.

Then, you queried that database to learn Cypher pattern matching. You learned about the MATCH keyword. You also learned that node expressions must go between round brackets, while relationships must be expressed in square brackets, and property expressions must be written between curly brackets.

You also learned how to use the RETURN clause to select which matched values we want the query to return. We wrote the Java code needed to use the result, even using query parameters. The OPTIONAL MATCH keyword allows us to match parts of the graph that could be missing. You also learned how to find paths from one node to another, and the shortest path between them, using the allShortestPaths function.

In the next chapter, you will learn how to filter and aggregate data and how to page through a query result.