CLI

The Traverse CLI (traverse-cli) is an interactive REPL for querying and managing Traverse databases.

Modes of Operation

Mode	Usage
Interactive REPL	`traverse-cli`
Single query	`traverse-cli "MATCH (n) RETURN n LIMIT 5"`
Script execution	`traverse-cli -s queries.cypher`
Piped stdin	`echo "MATCH (n) RETURN count(n)" \| traverse-cli`
Embedded (direct file)	`traverse-cli -f database.tvdb`

CLI Options

Flag	Short	Description	Default
`--bolt <URI>`	`-b`	Bolt connection URI	`bolt://localhost:7690`
`--file <PATH>`	`-f`	Open a `.tvdb` file directly (embedded mode, no server needed)	—
`--script <FILE>`	`-s`	Run a `.cypher` script file	—
`--user <NAME>`	`-u`	Username for authentication	—
`--password <PASS>`	`-p`	Password for authentication	—
`--format <FMT>`	—	Output format: `table`, `json`, `csv`	`table`
`--database <NAME>`	`-d`	Select database (Bolt mode)	—
`--no-highlight`	—	Disable syntax highlighting	—
`--tls-insecure`	—	Skip TLS certificate verification	—

Connection URI Formats

bolt://localhost:7690 — unencrypted
bolt+s://localhost:7690 — TLS encrypted
localhost:7690 — shorthand (defaults to unencrypted)

Meta-Commands

Meta-commands start with : and are processed locally (not sent to the server):

Command	Description
`:help`, `:h`	Show help
`:quit`, `:exit`, `:q`	Exit the REPL
`:format <table\|json\|csv>`	Set output format (shows current if no argument)
`:param key => value`	Set a query parameter
`:params`	List all parameters
`:params clear`	Clear all parameters
`:source <file>`	Execute a `.cypher` script
`:use <database>`	Switch database (validates existence first)
`:clear`	Clear the screen
`:update`	Check for updates
`:update download`	Download latest version

Output Formats

Table (default)

traverse> MATCH (n:Person) RETURN n.name, n.age LIMIT 3;
+-------+-----+
| n.name| n.age|
+-------+-----+
| Alice | 30  |
| Bob   | 25  |
| Carol | 28  |
+-------+-----+
3 rows, 0.4 ms

JSON

One JSON object per line (JSONL format):

traverse> :format json
traverse> MATCH (n:Person) RETURN n.name LIMIT 2;
{"n.name": "Alice"}
{"n.name": "Bob"}

CSV

traverse> :format csv
traverse> MATCH (n:Person) RETURN n.name, n.age LIMIT 2;
n.name,n.age
Alice,30
Bob,25

Query Parameters

Set parameters with :param using supported value types:

traverse> :param name => 'Alice'
traverse> :param age => 30
traverse> :param active => true
traverse> :param score => 3.14
traverse> MATCH (n:Person {name: $name}) RETURN n;

Value types: integers (42), floats (3.14), strings ('text' or "text"), booleans (true/false), null.

Transactions

In Bolt mode, use explicit transactions:

traverse> BEGIN;
traverse> CREATE (n:Person {name: "Dave"});
traverse> MATCH (n:Person) RETURN count(n);
traverse> COMMIT;

Use ROLLBACK; to discard changes.

Note: Embedded mode (--file) does not support explicit transactions. Each statement auto-commits.

Database Management

traverse> SHOW DATABASES;
traverse> CREATE DATABASE analytics;
traverse> :use analytics
traverse> DROP DATABASE analytics;

User Management

traverse> CREATE USER alice SET PASSWORD 'hunter2' SET ROLE EDITOR;
traverse> SHOW USERS;
traverse> ALTER USER alice SET ROLE ADMIN;
traverse> DROP USER alice;

LOAD CSV

traverse> LOAD CSV WITH HEADERS FROM 'file:///path/to/data.csv' AS row
           CREATE (n:Person {name: row.name, age: toInteger(row.age)});

Embedded Mode

Open a .tvdb file directly without running the server:

traverse-cli --file ./data/mydb.tvdb

This loads the database in-process. A valid license key is required for embedded mode. The CLI will prompt for interactive activation if the trial has expired.

Features

Syntax highlighting — keywords, strings, and numbers are color-coded (disable with --no-highlight)
Tab completion — Cypher keywords, labels, relationship types, and property keys
History — persisted across sessions in ~/.traverse_history
Execution timing — microsecond or millisecond precision after each query
Query stats — nodes/edges created/deleted, properties set, labels added/removed, indexes added/removed
Connection banner — displays server version, database name, node/edge counts on connect
Syntax errors — displayed with a caret pointer showing the error position