# Text to Cypher
[](https://github.com/FalkorDB/text-to-cypher/actions/workflows/build.yml)
A high-performance Rust library and API service that translates natural language text to Cypher queries for graph databases, featuring integration with genai and FalkorDB. Use as a library in your Rust applications or deploy the all-in-one Docker solution with integrated FalkorDB database, web browser interface, text-to-cypher API, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) server support!
## ✨ What's New
**FalkorDB Cypher Skills**: Curated, read-only FalkorDB-specific Cypher best practices are **built in by default** (and extensible from external skill files). The LLM can request detailed skill content on-demand via tool calling, keeping prompts compact while enabling deep expertise when needed. See [Dynamic Cypher Skills](#dynamic-cypher-skills) for details.
**UDF Context** (opt-in): Surface a FalkorDB instance's user-defined functions to the model so generated Cypher can call them. Enable per client with `.with_discovered_udfs()` or on the server with `DISCOVER_UDFS=true`. See [UDF Context](#udf-context) for details.
**Library Support**: Now available as a Rust library! Use text-to-cypher directly in your Rust applications without the REST API overhead.
**All-in-One Docker Solution**: Our Docker image includes everything you need in a single container:
- 🗄️ **FalkorDB Database** (port 6379) - Full graph database with Redis protocol
- 🌐 **FalkorDB Web Interface** (port 3000) - Interactive graph browser and query builder
- 🚀 **Text-to-Cypher API** (port 8080) - Natural language to Cypher conversion
- 🤖 **MCP Server** (port 3001) - AI assistant integration support
## Features
### Core Capabilities
- **Text to Cypher Translation**: Convert natural language queries to Cypher database queries using AI
- **Enhanced Schema Discovery**: Automatically discover and analyze graph database schemas with example values
- **Query Validation**: Built-in validation system to catch syntax errors before execution
- **Self-Healing Queries**: Automatic retry with error feedback when queries fail
- **Library & API Modes**: Use as a Rust library or REST API
- **RESTful API**: Clean HTTP API with comprehensive OpenAPI/Swagger documentation
- **MCP Server**: Model Context Protocol server for AI assistant integrations
- **Streaming Responses**: Real-time Server-Sent Events (SSE) streaming of query processing results
### Infrastructure
- **Rust Library**: Integrate directly into your Rust applications
- **Integrated FalkorDB**: Built-in FalkorDB graph database with web browser interface
- **All-in-One Docker Solution**: Complete stack in a single container - database, web UI, API, and MCP server
- **Multi-Platform Support**: Docker images available for both AMD64 and ARM64 architectures
### AI & Quality
- **AI Model Integration**: Powered by genai for natural language processing with support for multiple providers
- **Dynamic Cypher Skills**: Built-in FalkorDB-specific best practices by default, extensible from external skill files, with on-demand tool calling
- **Schema-Aware Generation**: Uses schema with example values for better query accuracy
- **Answer Confidence**: Each answer includes a model self-reported confidence score (0-100), available via the library, REST SSE stream, and MCP tool response
- **Production Ready**: Comprehensive error handling, logging, and robust architecture
- **Environment Configuration**: Flexible configuration via `.env` file with fallback to request parameters
## Quick Start
### Using as a Rust Library
Add text-to-cypher to your `Cargo.toml`:
```toml
[dependencies]
# For library usage only (without REST server)
text-to-cypher = { version = "0.1", default-features = false }
# For full server capabilities
text-to-cypher = "0.1"
```
**Basic Example:**
```rust
use text_to_cypher::{TextToCypherClient, ChatRequest, ChatMessage, ChatRole};
#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
// Create a client
let client = TextToCypherClient::new(
"gpt-4o-mini",
"your-api-key",
"falkor://127.0.0.1:6379"
);
// Create a chat request
let request = ChatRequest {
messages: vec![
ChatMessage {
role: ChatRole::User,
content: "Find all actors who appeared in movies released after 2020".to_string(),
}
]
};
// Convert text to Cypher and execute
let response = client.text_to_cypher("movies", request).await?;
println!("Generated query: {}", response.cypher_query.unwrap());
println!("Result: {}", response.cypher_result.unwrap());
println!("Answer: {}", response.answer.unwrap());
Ok(())
}
```
**More Examples:**
See the [library usage example](examples/library_usage.rs) for comprehensive examples including:
- Using the high-level `TextToCypherClient`
- Using core functions directly for more control
- Generating Cypher queries without execution
Run the example:
```bash
# Ensure FalkorDB is running
docker run -d -p 6379:6379 falkordb/falkordb:latest
# Set your API key
export OPENAI_API_KEY=your-key-here
# Run the example (library mode - no server dependencies)
cargo run --example library_usage --no-default-features
```
**Listing available models:**
To discover which AI models each provider supports, use `TextToCypherClient::list_models`
(single provider) and `list_all_models` (all providers). See the
[list models example](examples/list_client_models.rs).
```bash
# Optionally set an API key to fetch the provider's live model list
export OPENAI_API_KEY=your-key-here
# Run the example (library mode - no server dependencies)
cargo run --example list_client_models --no-default-features
```
> Results combine the provider's **dynamic** list (fetched live from the provider, which
> usually needs an API key) with a **curated static catalog** maintained in
> [`src/models_catalog.rs`](src/models_catalog.rs). Because of this fallback, providers
> with a curated list still return their well-known models even when no API key is
> configured. The curated catalog is intentionally small and high-confidence — update it
> when adding support for newer models.
There is also a lower-level [`list_models` example](examples/list_models.rs) that calls
the `core::list_adapter_models` / `core::list_all_models` functions directly:
```bash
cargo run --example list_models --no-default-features
```
**Tracking token usage:**
Each `text_to_cypher` / `cypher_only` request may issue several LLM calls (Cypher
generation, self-healing retries, skill tool-call rounds, and final answer generation).
The library aggregates the token counts from all of them into
`TextToCypherResponse::token_usage`. See the
[token usage example](examples/token_usage.rs).
```bash
# Ensure FalkorDB is running
docker run -d -p 6379:6379 falkordb/falkordb:latest
# Set your OpenAI API key (the account must have available quota)
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
# Optionally override defaults (MODEL defaults to gpt-5.5)
# export MODEL=gpt-5.5
# export FALKORDB_CONNECTION=falkor://127.0.0.1:6379
# export GRAPH_NAME=demo_graph
# Run the example (library mode - no server dependencies)
cargo run --example token_usage --no-default-features
```
> A `429 insufficient_quota` response means the account has no available quota — that is a
> billing issue, not a problem with token tracking. Use a funded key to see the reported
> `prompt_tokens`, `completion_tokens`, and `total_tokens`.
### Using from TypeScript/JavaScript
See [TypeScript Usage Guide](docs/TYPESCRIPT_USAGE.md) for detailed instructions on using text-to-cypher from TypeScript/JavaScript applications via REST API, Node.js native bindings, or WebAssembly.
### Using from Python
See [Python Usage Guide](docs/PYTHON_USAGE.md) for detailed instructions on using text-to-cypher from Python applications via REST API or PyO3 bindings.
### Using Docker (Recommended for Server)
The easiest way to get started is using our all-in-one Docker image that includes FalkorDB database, web browser interface, text-to-cypher API, and MCP server:
```bash
# Run the complete stack with all services
docker run -p 6379:6379 -p 3000:3000 -p 8080:8080 -p 3001:3001 \
-e DEFAULT_MODEL=gpt-4o-mini -e DEFAULT_KEY=your-api-key \
falkordb/text-to-cypher:latest
# Or using environment file
docker run -p 6379:6379 -p 3000:3000 -p 8080:8080 -p 3001:3001 \
--env-file .env \
falkordb/text-to-cypher:latest
# Or mounting .env file for full MCP server functionality
docker run -p 6379:6379 -p 3000:3000 -p 8080:8080 -p 3001:3001 \
-v $(pwd)/.env:/app/.env:ro \
falkordb/text-to-cypher:latest
# Custom ports using environment variables
docker run -p 6379:6379 -p 3000:3000 -p 9090:9090 -p 4001:4001 \
-e REST_PORT=9090 -e MCP_PORT=4001 \
-e DEFAULT_MODEL=gpt-4o-mini -e DEFAULT_KEY=your-api-key \
falkordb/text-to-cypher:latest
```
### Available Services
Once running, access the services at:
- **FalkorDB Database**: `localhost:6379` (Redis protocol)
- **FalkorDB Web Interface**: `http://localhost:3000` (Interactive graph database browser)
- **Text-to-Cypher API**: `http://localhost:8080` (REST API)
- **Swagger UI**: `http://localhost:8080/swagger-ui/` (API documentation)
- **MCP Server**: `localhost:3001` (Model Context Protocol server)
- **OpenAPI Spec**: `http://localhost:8080/api-doc/openapi.json`
### Local Development
If you prefer to run locally without Docker:
```bash
# Prerequisites: You'll need FalkorDB running separately
docker run -d -p 6379:6379 falkordb/falkordb:latest
# Install Rust (if not already installed)
# Clone and run the text-to-cypher service
git clone https://github.com/FalkorDB/text-to-cypher.git
cd text-to-cypher
cp .env.example .env # Edit with your configuration
cargo run
```
The local development setup requires:
- **FalkorDB instance**: Running on port 6379 (can be Docker or native)
- **Rust environment**: For building and running the text-to-cypher service
## API Documentation
The API includes comprehensive Swagger UI documentation available at `/swagger-ui/` when running the server.
## Configuration
The application supports flexible configuration via environment variables or `.env` file:
### Core Settings
- `DEFAULT_MODEL`: Default AI model to use (e.g., "openai:gpt-4")
- `DEFAULT_KEY`: Default API key for the AI service
### Port Configuration
- `REST_PORT`: REST API server port (default: 8080)
- `MCP_PORT`: MCP server port for AI assistant integrations (default: 3001)
- The MCP server provides an SSE endpoint at `/sse` on this port
### Optional Settings
- `FALKORDB_CONNECTION`: FalkorDB connection string (default: "falkor://127.0.0.1:6379")
- `SKILLS_DIR`: Path to a directory containing FalkorDB Cypher skill files (optional, see [Dynamic Cypher Skills](#dynamic-cypher-skills))
- `DISCOVER_UDFS`: Set to `true` to surface the instance's user-defined functions to the model (default: `false`, see [UDF Context](#udf-context))
Create a `.env` file from the provided example:
```bash
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your preferred default model and API key
```
### MCP Server Configuration
**Important**: The MCP server will only start if:
1. Both `DEFAULT_MODEL` and `DEFAULT_KEY` are configured
2. The `.env` file physically exists (not just environment variables)
For Docker deployments:
- Use `--env-file .env` or `-e` flags for HTTP server only (MCP server also starts if both MODEL and KEY are provided)
- Use `-v $(pwd)/.env:/app/.env:ro` to ensure MCP server starts with mounted `.env` file
## Architecture
The integrated Docker solution runs four concurrent services:
### FalkorDB Database (Port 6379)
- Graph database server with Redis protocol compatibility
- Stores and manages graph data structures
- Accessible via Redis clients and graph query languages
### FalkorDB Web Interface (Port 3000)
- Interactive web-based graph database browser
- Visual query builder and result visualization
- Database administration and monitoring tools
- Graph data exploration interface
### Text-to-Cypher HTTP API (Port 8080)
- Main REST API for text-to-cypher conversion
- Swagger UI documentation at `http://localhost:8080/swagger-ui/`
- OpenAPI specification at `http://localhost:8080/api-doc/openapi.json`
- Supports both streaming (SSE) and non-streaming responses
### MCP Server (Port 3001) - Conditional
- Model Context Protocol server for AI assistant integrations
- Provides `text_to_cypher` tool for natural language to Cypher conversion
- **Note**: MCP server only starts if both `DEFAULT_MODEL` and `DEFAULT_KEY` are configured
## Deployment Options
### Docker Deployment (Production)
The project provides an all-in-one Docker image that includes FalkorDB database, web browser interface, text-to-cypher API, and MCP server:
```bash
# Pull the latest image
docker pull docker.io/falkordb/text-to-cypher:latest
# Option 1: Complete stack with all services (recommended)
docker run -d \
--name text-to-cypher-stack \
-p 6379:6379 \
-p 3000:3000 \
-p 8080:8080 \
-p 3001:3001 \
-e DEFAULT_MODEL=gpt-4o-mini \
-e DEFAULT_KEY=your-api-key \
--restart unless-stopped \
docker.io/falkordb/text-to-cypher:latest
# Option 2: Using environment file
docker run -d \
--name text-to-cypher-stack \
-p 6379:6379 \
-p 3000:3000 \
-p 8080:8080 \
-p 3001:3001 \
--env-file .env \
--restart unless-stopped \
docker.io/falkordb/text-to-cypher:latest
# Option 3: Mount .env file for full MCP functionality
docker run -d \
--name text-to-cypher-stack \
-p 6379:6379 \
-p 3000:3000 \
-p 8080:8080 \
-p 3001:3001 \
-v $(pwd)/.env:/app/.env:ro \
--restart unless-stopped \
docker.io/falkordb/text-to-cypher:latest
# View logs from all services
docker logs -f text-to-cypher-stack
```
### Docker Configuration Options
| `-e DEFAULT_MODEL=... -e DEFAULT_KEY=...` | ✅ | Environment-based config |
| `--env-file .env` | ✅ | File-based configuration |
| `-v $(pwd)/.env:/app/.env:ro` | ✅ | Mounted configuration file |
**Note**: All four services (FalkorDB database, web interface, text-to-cypher API, and MCP server) will start when both `DEFAULT_MODEL` and `DEFAULT_KEY` are configured, regardless of how the environment variables are provided.
### Service Ports
| FalkorDB Database | 6379 | Redis protocol access to graph database |
| FalkorDB Web Interface | 3000 | Interactive web browser for graph exploration |
| Text-to-Cypher HTTP API | 8080 | REST API with Swagger documentation |
| MCP Server | 3001 | Model Context Protocol server for AI integrations |
### Docker Features
- **All-in-One Solution**: Complete graph database stack in a single container
- **Built-in Cypher Skills**: FalkorDB-specific Cypher best practices baked in from [FalkorDB/skills](https://github.com/FalkorDB/skills)
- **Multi-Platform**: Support for both AMD64 and ARM64 architectures
- **Minimal Size**: Optimized Alpine Linux base for efficient deployment
- **Production Ready**: Includes supervisord for process management and logging
- **Security**: Services run with appropriate user permissions
### Environment Variables
Configure the application using environment variables or `.env` file:
- `DEFAULT_MODEL`: Default AI model (e.g., "gpt-4o-mini", "anthropic:claude-3")
- `DEFAULT_KEY`: Default API key for the AI service
- `FALKORDB_CONNECTION`: FalkorDB connection URL (default: "falkor://127.0.0.1:6379")
- `SKILLS_DIR`: Path to Cypher skills directory (default: `/app/skills` in Docker, see [Dynamic Cypher Skills](#dynamic-cypher-skills))
- `DISCOVER_UDFS`: Set to `true` to surface instance user-defined functions to the model (default: `false`, see [UDF Context](#udf-context))
## MCP Server Usage
The MCP server provides a standardized interface for AI assistants to convert natural language questions into Cypher queries. This enables seamless integration with AI tools that support the Model Context Protocol.
### Using MCP Inspector
To test and interact with the MCP server, you can use the MCP Inspector:
1. **Start the text-to-cypher stack**:
```bash
docker run -p 6379:6379 -p 3000:3000 -p 8080:8080 -p 3001:3001 \
-e DEFAULT_MODEL=gpt-4o-mini -e DEFAULT_KEY=your-api-key \
docker.io/falkordb/text-to-cypher:latest
```
2. **Install MCP Inspector** (if not already installed):
```bash
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/inspector
```
3. **Connect MCP Inspector to the server**:
- Open MCP Inspector in your browser (typically `http://localhost:6274`)
- Add a new server connection with these settings:
- **Transport**: `stdio`
- **Command**: `nc`
- **Arguments**: `["localhost", "3001"]`
Or if using a direct connection:
- **Transport**: `sse`
- **URL**: `http://localhost:3001/sse`
4. **Available Tools**:
The MCP server exposes the following tool:
#### `text_to_cypher`
Converts natural language questions into Cypher queries for graph databases.
**Parameters**:
- `graph_name` (required): Name of the graph database to query
- `question` (required): Natural language question to convert to Cypher
**Example Usage in MCP Inspector**:
```json
{
"graph_name": "movies",
"question": "Find all actors who appeared in movies released after 2020"
}
```
5. **Example Workflow**:
- Select the `text_to_cypher` tool in MCP Inspector
- Fill in the parameters:
- Graph name: `"social_network"`
- Question: `"Who are the friends of John with more than 5 mutual connections?"`
- Execute the tool
- View the generated Cypher query and execution results
**Pro Tip**: You can also interact with the FalkorDB directly through the web interface at `http://localhost:3000` to create and explore graphs visually!
### Integration with AI Assistants
The MCP server enables AI assistants to:
- Convert natural language to Cypher queries
- Execute queries against FalkorDB graphs
- Provide structured responses with query results
- Handle complex graph database interactions seamlessly
### MCP Server Benefits
- **Standardized Interface**: Uses the Model Context Protocol for consistent AI tool integration
- **Streaming Support**: Real-time processing and response streaming
- **Error Handling**: Comprehensive error messages and validation
- **Documentation**: Auto-generated tool documentation with parameter descriptions and examples
## Getting Started
### Prerequisites
- **For Docker (Recommended)**: Docker installed on your system
- **For Local Development**:
- Rust (latest stable version)
- FalkorDB instance (can be run via Docker: `docker run -d -p 6379:6379 falkordb/falkordb:latest`)
### Running the Complete Stack
#### Using Docker (Recommended)
```bash
# Run the complete integrated stack
docker run -p 6379:6379 -p 3000:3000 -p 8080:8080 -p 3001:3001 \
-e DEFAULT_MODEL=gpt-4o-mini -e DEFAULT_KEY=your-api-key \
docker.io/falkordb/text-to-cypher:latest
```
#### Local Development
```bash
# Start FalkorDB separately
docker run -d -p 6379:6379 falkordb/falkordb:latest
# Run text-to-cypher service
cargo run
```
### Access the Services
Once running, access the services at:
- **FalkorDB Web Interface**: `http://localhost:3000` (Interactive graph browser)
- **Text-to-Cypher API**: `http://localhost:8080`
- **Swagger UI**: `http://localhost:8080/swagger-ui/`
- **OpenAPI spec**: `http://localhost:8080/api-doc/openapi.json`
- **FalkorDB Database**: `localhost:6379` (Redis protocol)
- **MCP Server**: `localhost:3001` (Model Context Protocol)
### Building for Production
#### Docker Build (Local)
```bash
# Build locally using the build script
./docker-build.sh
# Or build manually (defaults to SKILLS_REF=main for local/dev builds)
docker build -t text-to-cypher:latest .
# For reproducible production builds, pass a pinned FalkorDB/skills ref
docker build --build-arg SKILLS_REF=<falkordb-skills-commit-sha> -t text-to-cypher:latest .
```
#### Using Pre-built Images
```bash
# Pull from Docker Hub
docker pull docker.io/falkordb/text-to-cypher:latest
# Available tags: latest, v1.0.0, v0.1.0-beta.x, etc.
```
#### Native Build
```bash
cargo build --release
```
## Testing
The library includes comprehensive unit tests with 33+ test cases covering:
- **Library API tests** ([src/lib.rs](src/lib.rs#L409)): `TextToCypherClient` construction, request/response serialization, chat types
- **Processor tests** ([src/processor.rs](src/processor.rs#L273)): Request/response handling, status checks, serialization
- **Validator tests** ([src/validator.rs](src/validator.rs)): Cypher query validation and security checks
- **Formatter tests** ([src/formatter.rs](src/formatter.rs)): Result formatting for various data types
- **Schema tests** ([src/schema/discovery.rs](src/schema/discovery.rs)): Schema discovery and validation
- **UDF tests** ([src/udf.rs](src/udf.rs)): `GRAPH.UDF LIST` parsing (RESP2/RESP3), prompt rendering, and error classification
Run all tests:
```bash
# Run library tests only
cargo test --lib
# Run all tests including integration tests
cargo test
# Run with output
cargo test -- --nocapture
```
## Development
### Prerequisites
- [Rust](https://www.rust-lang.org/tools/install) (stable)
- [just](https://github.com/casey/just#installation) (recommended task runner)
### Quick Start with `just`
```bash
# List all available recipes
just
# Download FalkorDB Cypher skills + run lint + tests
just check
# Start development server (auto-downloads skills if missing)
just dev
# Download skills manually
just download-skills
# Download skills pinned to a specific version
just download-skills-pinned v1.0.0
# List loaded skills
just list-skills
```
### Available Recipes
| `just download-skills` | Download latest FalkorDB Cypher skills |
| `just download-skills-pinned <ref>` | Download skills at a specific branch/tag/commit |
| `just build` | Build in debug mode |
| `just build-release` | Build in release mode |
| `just build-lib` | Build library only (no server deps) |
| `just fmt` | Check formatting |
| `just clippy` | Run clippy with CI-level strictness |
| `just lint` | Run all lints (fmt + clippy) |
| `just test` | Run all tests |
| `just check` | Full CI check (lint + test) |
| `just dev` | Start development server with skills |
| `just run` | Start release server with skills |
| `just docker-build [version] [skills_ref]` | Build Docker image locally (defaults to latest skills from `main`) |
| `just docker-push <version> <registry> <skills_ref>` | Build and push Docker image with a pinned skills ref |
| `just list-skills` | Show all loaded skills |
| `just clean` | Clean build artifacts and skills |
### Code Quality
The project maintains high code quality standards:
```bash
# Using just (recommended)
just lint # fmt + clippy
just test # run all tests
just check # lint + test
# Or with cargo directly
cargo fmt
cargo clippy -- -W clippy::pedantic -W clippy::nursery -D warnings
cargo test
```
### Project Structure
```text
text-to-cypher/
├── src/
│ ├── main.rs # Main application and HTTP server
│ ├── chat.rs # Chat message types and handling
│ ├── error.rs # Error types and handling
│ ├── formatter.rs # Query result formatting
│ ├── mcp/ # Model Context Protocol server
│ ├── schema/ # Graph schema discovery
│ ├── skills/ # Dynamic Cypher skill loading
│ │ ├── mod.rs # Skill catalog, tool calling, provider gating
│ │ ├── parser.rs # YAML frontmatter + markdown parser
│ │ └── loader.rs # Directory-based skill loader
│ └── template.rs # Template engine for prompts
├── templates/ # AI prompt templates
│ ├── system_prompt.txt # System prompt for AI
│ ├── user_prompt.txt # User query template
│ └── last_request_prompt.txt # Final response template
├── skills/ # Downloaded Cypher skills (gitignored)
├── justfile # Development task recipes
├── Dockerfile # All-in-one Docker image with FalkorDB + skills
├── supervisord.conf # Process management configuration
├── entrypoint.sh # Docker container startup script
├── .dockerignore # Docker build context filtering
└── docker-build.sh # Convenient Docker build script
```
## API Usage Examples
### Basic Text-to-Cypher Request
```bash
curl -X POST "http://localhost:8080/text_to_cypher" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"graph_name": "movies",
"chat_request": {
"messages": [
{
"role": "User",
"content": "Find all actors who appeared in movies released after 2020"
}
]
},
"model": "gpt-4o-mini",
"key": "your-api-key"
}'
```
### Using the FalkorDB Web Interface
1. **Access the web interface**: Open `http://localhost:3000` in your browser
2. **Connect to database**: The interface automatically connects to the local FalkorDB instance
3. **Create sample data**: Use the visual interface to create nodes and relationships
4. **Run queries**: Test Cypher queries directly in the web interface
5. **Export/Import**: Save your graph data or load sample datasets
### Using Server-Sent Events (SSE)
The API supports streaming responses for real-time progress updates:
```javascript
const eventSource = new EventSource('/text_to_cypher', {
method: 'POST',
headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
body: JSON.stringify({
graph_name: "social_network",
chat_request: {
messages: [{ role: "User", content: "Who are John's friends?" }]
}
})
});
eventSource.onmessage = (event) => {
const progress = JSON.parse(event.data);
console.log('Progress:', progress);
};
```
### Complete Workflow Example
```bash
# 1. Start the complete stack
docker run -p 6379:6379 -p 3000:3000 -p 8080:8080 -p 3001:3001 \
-e DEFAULT_MODEL=gpt-4o-mini -e DEFAULT_KEY=your-api-key \
docker.io/falkordb/text-to-cypher:latest
# 2. Create a graph using FalkorDB web interface (http://localhost:3000)
# Add some sample data: people, relationships, etc.
# 3. Query using natural language via the API
curl -X POST "http://localhost:8080/text_to_cypher" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"graph_name": "social_network",
"chat_request": {
"messages": [
{
"role": "User",
"content": "Find all people who have more than 3 friends"
}
]
},
"model": "gpt-4o-mini",
"key": "your-api-key"
}'
# 4. Use MCP server for AI assistant integrations (port 3001)
# Connect your AI assistant to http://localhost:3001
```
## Publishing to crates.io
This library is designed to be published to [crates.io](https://crates.io/crates/text-to-cypher), making it easy to use in any Rust project.
### For Maintainers
To publish a new version to [crates.io](https://crates.io/crates/text-to-cypher):
1. **Ensure you have a crates.io account and are logged in**:
```bash
cargo login
```
2. **Update the version** in `Cargo.toml` following [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/):
```toml
[package]
version = "0.1.1" # Increment as needed
```
3. **Update CHANGELOG** (if exists) with version changes and release notes.
4. **Ensure all tests pass** (including doc tests):
```bash
cargo test
cargo test --doc
```
5. **Run code quality checks**:
```bash
cargo fmt
cargo clippy --lib -- -W clippy::pedantic -W clippy::nursery -D warnings
```
6. **Build and test both library and server modes**:
```bash
cargo build --lib --no-default-features
cargo build
cargo run --example library_usage --no-default-features
```
7. **Do a dry-run publish** to verify package contents:
```bash
cargo publish --dry-run
```
Review the output to ensure:
- All necessary files are included
- No sensitive files are accidentally included
- Package size is reasonable
8. **Create a git tag** for the version:
```bash
git tag -a v0.1.1 -m "Release version 0.1.1"
git push origin v0.1.1
```
9. **Publish to crates.io**:
```bash
cargo publish
```
Note: Publishing is **permanent** - you cannot delete or replace a published version.
10. **Verify the published crate**:
```bash
open https://crates.io/crates/text-to-cypher
cargo install text-to-cypher --version 0.1.1
```
### For Users
Once published, users can easily add text-to-cypher to their projects:
```toml
[dependencies]
# Library-only usage (no REST server)
text-to-cypher = { version = "0.1", default-features = false }
# With REST server capabilities
text-to-cypher = "0.1"
```
The library is published with:
- **default features**: Includes REST API server, Swagger UI, MCP server
- **no-default-features**: Core library only (schema discovery, query generation, execution)
## Troubleshooting
### Common Issues
**Services not starting**:
- Ensure all required ports (6379, 3000, 8080, 3001) are available
- Check that `DEFAULT_MODEL` and `DEFAULT_KEY` are properly configured
- View logs: `docker logs -f <container-name>`
**MCP Server not starting**:
- Verify both `DEFAULT_MODEL` and `DEFAULT_KEY` environment variables are set
- For local builds, ensure `.env` file exists in the working directory
**FalkorDB connection issues**:
- The integrated FalkorDB automatically starts with the container
- No external FalkorDB instance needed when using the Docker image
- Database is accessible at `localhost:6379` (Redis protocol)
**Web interface not accessible**:
- Ensure port 3000 is properly mapped: `-p 3000:3000`
- Try accessing `http://localhost:3000` directly
- Check firewall settings if running on a remote server
### Getting Help
- **API Documentation**: `http://localhost:8080/swagger-ui/`
- **Web Interface**: `http://localhost:3000` for graph exploration
- **Logs**: Use `docker logs -f <container-name>` to view all service logs
- **Issues**: Report problems at [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/FalkorDB/text-to-cypher/issues)
## Dynamic Cypher Skills
Text-to-cypher ships a curated set of **read-only, FalkorDB-specific Cypher skills built in** — every consumer (library, napi bindings, browser, and server) gets them by default, with no setup. You can additionally load or override skills from external skill files at runtime. This allows the LLM to generate better, more efficient Cypher queries by leveraging domain-specific knowledge about FalkorDB's query engine.
### How It Works
The system uses a **two-tier architecture** for skill loading:
```text
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ System Prompt │
│ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Tier 1: Skill Catalog (compact) │ │
│ │ - apply-cypher-limitations: Avoid FalkorDB pitfalls │ │
│ │ - use-parameters: Use parameterized queries │ │
│ │ - fulltext-search: Full-text search syntax │ │
│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
LLM decides it needs
more detail on a skill
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Tier 2: Tool Call → read_skill("apply-cypher-limitations") │
│ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Full skill content returned: │ │
│ │ # Apply Cypher Limitations │ │
│ │ - <> and != are NOT index-accelerated │ │
│ │ - Use positive predicates when possible │ │
│ │ - Self-referencing relationships are directed... │ │
│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```
**Tier 1 (Catalog)**: A compact list of skill names and descriptions is injected into the system prompt. This gives the LLM awareness of available expertise without bloating the context window.
**Tier 2 (Tool Calling)**: When the LLM determines it needs detailed guidance for a particular query, it calls the `read_skill` tool to load the full skill content on-demand. This keeps prompts lean for simple queries while enabling deep expertise for complex ones.
### Provider Support
Tool calling (Tier 2) is supported by these providers:
| OpenAI | ✅ | On-demand skill loading via `read_skill` tool |
| Anthropic | ✅ | On-demand skill loading via `read_skill` tool |
| Gemini | ✅ | On-demand skill loading via `read_skill` tool |
| xAI | ✅ | On-demand skill loading via `read_skill` tool |
| DeepSeek | ✅ | On-demand skill loading via `read_skill` tool |
| Groq | ❌ | All skill content injected directly into prompt |
| Ollama | ❌ | All skill content injected directly into prompt |
| Cohere | ❌ | All skill content injected directly into prompt |
For providers without tool support, the system automatically falls back to injecting all skill content directly into the system prompt. Every provider benefits from skills — only the delivery mechanism differs.
### Advantages & Limitations
**Advantages:**
- 🎯 **Smaller prompts** — Only skill names/descriptions in the base prompt; full content loaded on-demand
- 🔧 **Maintainable** — Skills live in plain markdown files, easy to add/edit/remove without code changes
- 🔌 **Pluggable** — Load different skill sets for different deployments or use cases
- 🚀 **Better queries** — LLM generates FalkorDB-optimized Cypher by leveraging domain-specific knowledge
- ⬇️ **Backward compatible** — Without `SKILLS_DIR`, behavior is identical to the base system
- 🔄 **Universal fallback** — Providers without tool support still get all skill content (just via prompt injection)
**Limitations:**
- 📡 **Extra LLM round-trips** — Tool calling adds 1-3 additional API calls when skills are requested
- 💰 **Increased token usage** — Skill content adds tokens to the context (either via tools or prompt injection)
- 📁 **Requires skill files** — You need to provide/maintain the skill directory (see [FalkorDB/skills](https://github.com/FalkorDB/skills/tree/main/cypher-skills) for ready-made skills)
- 🤖 **Provider-dependent** — Tool calling quality varies by provider; some models may over-request or under-request skills
### Setting Up Skills
#### Docker (zero setup required)
The Docker image comes with FalkorDB Cypher skills **pre-installed** at `/app/skills`. Skills are enabled by default — no configuration needed:
```bash
# Skills are already baked in — just run!
docker run -d \
-e DEFAULT_MODEL=gpt-4o-mini \
-e DEFAULT_KEY=your-api-key \
-p 8080:8080 \
docker.io/falkordb/text-to-cypher:latest
```
To override with custom skills, mount your own directory:
```bash
docker run -d \
-e DEFAULT_MODEL=gpt-4o-mini \
-e DEFAULT_KEY=your-api-key \
-e SKILLS_DIR=/app/custom-skills \
-v /path/to/your/skills:/app/custom-skills:ro \
-p 8080:8080 \
docker.io/falkordb/text-to-cypher:latest
```
Release Docker builds require a full `FalkorDB/skills` commit SHA. Use `./docker-build.sh --skills-ref <commit-sha>` or rebuild manually with `--build-arg SKILLS_REF=<commit-sha>`; reserve `SKILLS_REF=main` for local/dev builds only.
#### Development (using `just`)
The easiest way to set up skills locally:
```bash
# Install just: https://github.com/casey/just#installation
# Download latest FalkorDB Cypher skills
just download-skills
# Or pin to a specific version
just download-skills-pinned v1.0.0
# Start dev server (auto-downloads skills if missing)
just dev
# List available skills
just list-skills
```
#### Manual setup
```bash
# Download skills via curl
mkdir -p /tmp/skills-extract
curl -sL https://github.com/FalkorDB/skills/archive/main.tar.gz \
| tar -xz -C /tmp/skills-extract --strip-components=1
mv /tmp/skills-extract/cypher-skills ./skills
rm -rf /tmp/skills-extract
# Point the server at them
export SKILLS_DIR=./skills
cargo run
```
#### Skill file format
Each skill lives in its own directory with a `skill.md` file containing YAML frontmatter and markdown body:
```text
skills/
apply-cypher-limitations/
skill.md
use-parameters/
skill.md
fulltext-search/
skill.md
```
A `skill.md` file looks like:
```markdown
---
name: Apply Cypher Limitations
description: Avoid FalkorDB-specific Cypher pitfalls and write optimized queries
---
# Apply Cypher Limitations
## Usage
- The `<>` and `!=` operators are NOT index-accelerated in FalkorDB
- Prefer positive predicates when they preserve the user's intent
- Use `<>` / `!=` only when exclusion is explicitly required
## Example
Instead of: `MATCH (n:Person) WHERE n.age <> 30 RETURN n`
Prefer: `MATCH (n:Person) WHERE n.age > 30 OR n.age < 30 RETURN n`
```
### Library Usage with Skills
The built-in, read-only FalkorDB skills are enabled **by default** — `TextToCypherClient::new(...)` already
includes them, so no setup is required. Use `.with_additional_skills(catalog)` to extend them,
`.with_skills(catalog)` to replace them, or `.without_skills()` to disable them.
**Basic — load skills from a directory:**
```rust
use text_to_cypher::{TextToCypherClient, SkillCatalog, ChatRequest, ChatMessage, ChatRole};
use std::path::Path;
#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
// Load skills from a directory
let catalog = SkillCatalog::from_directory(Path::new("./cypher-skills"))?;
println!("Loaded {} skills", catalog.len());
// Create a client with skills
let client = TextToCypherClient::new(
"gpt-4o-mini",
"your-api-key",
"falkor://127.0.0.1:6379"
).with_skills(catalog);
// Use as normal — skills are automatically used during query generation
let request = ChatRequest {
messages: vec![
ChatMessage {
role: ChatRole::User,
content: "Find people older than 30 who are NOT named John".to_string(),
}
]
};
let response = client.text_to_cypher("social", request).await?;
// The LLM may use the "apply-cypher-limitations" skill to avoid
// using <> operator and generate an optimized query instead
println!("Query: {}", response.cypher_query.unwrap());
Ok(())
}
```
**Advanced — use the lower-level API with skills:**
```rust
use text_to_cypher::{core, SkillCatalog, ChatRequest, ChatMessage, ChatRole};
use std::path::Path;
#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error + Send + Sync>> {
let catalog = SkillCatalog::from_directory(Path::new("./cypher-skills"))?;
let client = core::create_genai_client(Some("your-api-key"));
let schema = core::discover_graph_schema(
"falkor://127.0.0.1:6379",
"movies"
).await?;
let chat_req = ChatRequest {
messages: vec![
ChatMessage {
role: ChatRole::User,
content: "Find actors who acted in sci-fi movies".to_string(),
}
]
};
// Generate query with skills — tool calling happens automatically
let query = core::generate_cypher_query_with_skills(
&chat_req,
&schema,
&client,
"gpt-4o-mini",
Some(&catalog),
).await?;
println!("Generated: {}", query);
Ok(())
}
```
**Without skills — everything works exactly as before:**
```rust
// No skills, no changes needed
let client = TextToCypherClient::new("gpt-4o-mini", "key", "falkor://127.0.0.1:6379");
let response = client.text_to_cypher("graph", request).await?;
```
## UDF Context
FalkorDB instances can host JavaScript [user-defined functions (UDFs)](https://docs.falkordb.com/cypher/functions.html). When enabled, text-to-cypher discovers the available UDFs (via `GRAPH.UDF LIST`) and surfaces their `library.function` call targets to the model, so generated Cypher can call them (for example `RETURN mylib.myFunc(x)`).
Key points:
- **Opt-in.** UDF context is **off by default** (the server-side UDF feature is not yet in a stable FalkorDB release). Enable it per client with `.with_discovered_udfs()`, or on the server with `DISCOVER_UDFS=true`.
- **Instance-global.** UDFs are not graph-scoped — `GRAPH.UDF LIST` returns every library loaded on the connected server, so the same UDFs apply to all graphs on that instance.
- **Graceful degradation.** On a server that does not support UDFs, discovery is silently skipped (no error, no UDF section in the prompt).
- **Names only.** FalkorDB does not expose UDF signatures, so the model is given the `library.function` names and instructed to use only the listed functions (never to invent one) and that signatures are unknown.
### Library usage with UDFs
```rust
use text_to_cypher::{TextToCypherClient, ChatRequest, ChatMessage, ChatRole};
#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
// Discover the connected instance's UDFs on each request.
let client = TextToCypherClient::new("gpt-4o-mini", "your-api-key", "falkor://127.0.0.1:6379")
.with_discovered_udfs();
let request = ChatRequest {
messages: vec![ChatMessage {
role: ChatRole::User,
content: "Use the distance UDF to find nearby stores".to_string(),
}],
};
let response = client.text_to_cypher("stores", request).await?;
println!("Query: {}", response.cypher_query.unwrap());
Ok(())
}
```
You can also supply a pre-fetched / cached catalog instead of discovering on each request — useful when you already have the `GRAPH.UDF LIST` output, or for `cypher_only` mode without a live database:
```rust
use text_to_cypher::{TextToCypherClient, UdfCatalog, UdfLibrary, UdfFunction};
let catalog = UdfCatalog::from_libraries(vec![UdfLibrary {
name: "geo".to_string(),
functions: vec![UdfFunction::new("distance"), UdfFunction::new("within")],
}]);
let client = TextToCypherClient::new("gpt-4o-mini", "key", "falkor://127.0.0.1:6379")
.with_udfs(catalog);
```
Use `.without_udfs()` to disable UDF context (the default).
### Server usage with UDFs
Set `DISCOVER_UDFS=true` to have the REST/MCP server discover instance UDFs. Results are cached per
connection (with a short TTL) so changes from `GRAPH.UDF LOAD`/`DELETE`/`FLUSH` are picked up without a
`GRAPH.UDF LIST` call on every request; `POST /clear_udf_cache` invalidates the cache immediately.
## Recent Improvements
This project implements best practices from current research and industry leaders:
### Query Quality & Reliability
- **Query Validation**: Automatic syntax and safety validation before execution
- **Self-Healing**: Failed queries are automatically regenerated with error feedback
- **Enhanced Schema**: Schema discovery now includes example values for better context
### Based on Research From
- [Neo4j Labs Text2Cypher](https://github.com/neo4j-labs/text2cypher) - Industry best practices
- [arXiv 2412.10064](https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.10064) - Text2Cypher academic research
- [GraphRAG](https://graphrag.com/reference/graphrag/text2cypher/) - Microsoft's approach
- [MDPI Research](https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8206) - Reinforcement learning techniques
### Documentation
- [Improvements Guide](docs/IMPROVEMENTS.md) - Detailed technical improvements
- [Best Practices](docs/BEST_PRACTICES.md) - Usage guidelines and optimization tips
## License
This project is licensed under the MIT License.