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Learn about ArangoDB’s core concepts such as the high-level data organization and its data model

This chapter introduces ArangoDB’s core concepts and covers the following:

  • The high-level data organization
  • Its data model (or rather multiple data models)
  • Important terminology used throughout the database system and in this documentation

You can also find examples on how to interact with the database system using ArangoDB’s interactive command-line interface called arangosh.

See How to Interact With ArangoDB to learn more about:

  • Ways you can use and communicate with ArangoDB servers
  • How to set up and deploy an ArangoDB instance
  • Get data in and out of ArangoDB
  • Back up and restore data in ArangoDB

Learn more about ArangoDB’s data structure and data models.

Modeling Data for ArangoDB

Plan for your data needs and map your conceptual model to the right features, making the most of ArangoDB.

All of the following topics fall under the broader term of data modeling:

  • Analyzing your project goals and existing data
  • Designing logical models for your data and mapping them to ArangoDB, often by striking a balance between natural data structures and great performance
  • Preparing and loading data into ArangoDB
  • Transforming data once it is in ArangoDB

Coming from SQL

If you worked with a database management system (RDBMS) such as MySQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL, you should be familiar with the SQL query language.

ArangoDB’s query language is called AQL. There are some similarities between both languages despite the different data models of the database systems. The most notable difference is probably the concept of loops in AQL, which makes it feel more like a programming language. It suits the schema-less model more natural and makes the query language very powerful while remaining easy to read and write.

To get started with AQL, sign up for ArangoDB University  and get access to interactive courses powered by ArangoGraph.

In the Cloud or On-premises

When you are ready for your own ArangoDB server, you can sign up for ArangoDB’s cloud service called ArangoGraph, which takes care of the setup and maintenance, so that you can focus on building amazing things on top of ArangoDB. See Use ArangoDB in the Cloud to get started.

You can also install ArangoDB locally or on your own server hardware. See Install ArangoDB on-premises for more details.

Interactive Tutorials

To get started with ArangoDB and try out some of its features, you can use the interactive tutorials. They provide information on various topics and allow you to set up and access a cloud instance of ArangoDB - it’s free, easy to use, and no installation is required.

AQL Tutorials

Graph Tutorials

ArangoSearch Tutorials

GraphML and Analytics Tutorials

You can find all interactive tutorials on GitHub:

https://github.com/arangodb/interactive_tutorials/ 

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