# Cytoscape plugin for Neo4j
Neo4j Graphs are often too large for Cytoscape: this plugin allows you to write Cypher queries and import the result as a network.
Queries can be parameterized and stored for reuse.
Citation: [https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/07/16/369785 Mining functional annotations across species; Sven Warris, Steven Dijkxhoorn, Teije van Sloten, T.L.H. van de Vossenberg, bioRxiv, 2018]
## Features
Connects to Neo4j with a username/password using the Bolt interface.
### Importing graphs
There are three main methods of importing a graph:
- Import all nodes and edges from Neo4j into Cytoscape
- Import a cypher query into Cystoscape
- Import a stored query ([template](doc/template.md)) into Cytoscape
### Exporting networks
The plugin allows you to export any Cytoscape Network to Neo4j. This can be an updated version of an imported graph or a network from a different source.
Nodes / relationships removed from a graph in Cytoscape will also result in these elements being removed from the Neo4j database after the export.
### Expanding nodes
The plugin allows you to expand a single node, selected nodes or all nodes in the network at once. This way you can browse through your graph.
Main menu:
- Expand all (selected) nodes in the network through all edges (bidirectional)
- Expand all (selected) nodes, incoming edges only
- Expand all (selected) nodes, outgoing edges only
Context menu:
- Expand single node, bidirectional, incoming or outgoing edges
- Expand single node, bidirectional, incoming or outgoing edges, based on the _available edges connected to this node_
- Expand single node, bidirectional, incoming or outgoing edges, based on the _available nodes connected to this node_
### Other features
- Show all edges (relationships) between all nodes in the network or only between selected nodes.
- Get the shortest paths from the database between the selected nodes. When more than two nodes are selected, all combinations will be queried: Neo4j does not allow shortest path calculations between more than two nodes (a.k.a. 'via').
