Import from RDF

This page walks through importing an RDF graph into a GQLDB graph using gqldb-importer. The importer reads a single RDF file, parses every triple, and writes the subjects/objects as nodes and the predicates as edges.

Supported RDF serializations:

Usage Guides

Prepare the RDF File

Place the RDF file in a directory accessible from where you will run gqldb-importer. A common layout is to keep the file in a ./data subdirectory next to the importer binary.

Directory layout
.
├── gqldb-importer
└── data/
    └── ontology.nt

Generate Configuration File

Bash
./gqldb-importer -sample rdf

A file named import.sample.rdf.yml will be created in the current directory. Rename it before editing so a re-run of -sample rdf doesn't clobber your changes:

Bash
mv import.sample.rdf.yml import.rdf.yml

Modify Configuration File

Edit import.rdf.yml. RDF-specific configuration lives under the top-level rdf: block; see the Import Configurations for the rest of the file (server, settings).

config snippet
rdf:
  file: "./data/ontology.nt"
  format: ntriples            # ntriples, turtle, rdfxml
  defaultSchema: "RDFNode"

• file — path to the RDF file.
• format — the RDF serialization. Must match the file's actual format.
• defaultSchema — the label applied to every node created from an RDF subject or object.

Unlike the file/table-based sources, RDF imports do not declare nodes / edges entries — the importer derives them automatically from the triples: each subject and object becomes a node (labeled defaultSchema); each predicate becomes an edge whose label is the predicate IRI.

Execute Import

Bash
./gqldb-importer -c import.rdf.yml

How Triples Map to the Graph

Given a triple <s> <p> <o>:

Blank nodes are assigned synthetic IDs derived from their position in the file.