(last updated 2017-05-22)

Scheme names:

	“graph”
	“graphdata” which is a synonym for “graph” as a scheme name
	
Status:
	
	Provisional
	
Applications/protocols that use this scheme name:
	
	It is intended that any program that requires a globally unique identifier
	for a graph and/or wishes to express the location or means of accessing a
	graph accessible through a computer network should be able to use a URI of
	this scheme, and that this scheme should include a clearly defined way of
	referencing, mapping or incorporating part or all of URIs from other schemes
	that may assist in that purpose.
	The scheme will enable applications or graph query languages such as Cypher
	(www.opencypher.org) or graph query extensions to SQL to operate on or
	produce graphs that are stored and can be retrieved in any format in or on
	any storage system or from any processing system.
	The availability of a portable identifier for graphs, however stored,
	enables applications that integrate multiple discrete graphs to be
	constructed.
	An example would be importing a sub-graph from a graph database like Neo4j
	or ArangoDB, and writing out a graph to the storage format defined by Spark
	GraphFrames/GraphX using the Parquet file format with HDFS.
	
Contact:

	Alastair Green
	Neo Technology Inc.
	8th Floor, Friars Bridge Court
	41-45 Blackfriars Rd
	London SE1 8NZ
	United Kingdom
	
	alastair.green&neotechnology.com.
	Telephone +44 793 063 9518
	
Change controller:

	Alastair Green
	Neo Technology Inc.
	8th Floor, Friars Bridge Court
	41-45 Blackfriars Rd
	London SE1 8NZ
	United Kingdom
	
	alastair.green&neotechnology.com.
	Telephone +44 793 063 9518
	
References:

	A draft specification of this scheme is being produced and discussed,
	initially under the aegis of the informal, consensus-driven openCypher
	Implementers Group (www.opencypher.org), and as part of the processes for
	standardization and extension of the Cypher language which are recorded and
	managed through issues raised at https://github.com/opencypher/openCypher.
	A discussion of some considerations and requirements for this specification
	can be found on the openCypher website.
	It is anticipated that a specification will be produced by Neo Technology
	Inc and industry and research collaborators during the course of the
	remainder of 2017, which will elaborate on
		■ Scheme semantics
		■ Encoding considerations
		■ Interoperability considerations
		■ Security considerations.
	The standards venue or industry consortium, formal or informal, which
	carries forward the work of defining this URI scheme may change over time as
	standardization of graph query languages evolves.

	Alastair Green
	18 May 2017