EdgeDB is a new kind of database
that takes the best parts of
relational databases, graph
databases, and ORMs. We call it
a graph-relational database.
🧩 Types, not tables 🧩
Schema is the foundation of your application. It should be something you can
read, write, and understand.
Forget foreign keys; tabular data modeling is a relic of an older age, and it
[isn't compatible](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object%E2%80%93relational_impedance_mismatch)
with modern languages. Instead, EdgeDB thinks about schema the same way you do:
as **object types** containing **properties** connected by **links**.
```
type Person {
required property name -> str;
}
type Movie {
required property title -> str;
multi link actors -> Person;
}
```
This example is intentionally simple, but EdgeDB supports everything you'd
expect from your database: a strict type system, indexes, constraints, computed
properties, stored procedures...the list goes on. Plus it gives you some shiny
new features too: link properties, schema mixins, and best-in-class JSON
support. Read the [schema docs](https://www.edgedb.com/docs/datamodel/index)
for details.
🌳 Objects, not rows 🌳
EdgeDB's super-powered query language EdgeQL is designed as a ground-up
redesign of SQL. EdgeQL queries produce rich, structured objects, not flat
lists of rows. Deeply fetching related objects is painless...bye, bye, JOINs.
```
select Movie {
title,
actors: {
name
}
}
filter .title = "The Matrix"
```
EdgeQL queries are also _composable_; you can use one EdgeQL query as an
expression inside another. This property makes things like _subqueries_ and
_nested mutations_ a breeze.
```
insert Movie {
title := "The Matrix Resurrections",
actors := (
select Person
filter .name in {
'Keanu Reeves',
'Carrie-Anne Moss',
'Laurence Fishburne'
}
)
}
```
There's a lot more to EdgeQL: a comprehensive standard library, computed
properties, polymorphic queries, `with` blocks, transactions, and much more.
Read the [EdgeQL docs](https://www.edgedb.com/docs/edgeql/index) for the full
picture.
🦋 More than a mapper 🦋
While EdgeDB solves the same problems as ORM libraries, it's so much more. It's
a full-fledged database with a
[formally-defined query language](https://www.edgedb.com/docs/edgeql/index), a
[migrations system](https://www.edgedb.com/docs/guides/migrations/index), a
[suite of client libraries](https://www.edgedb.com/docs/clients/index) in
different languages, a
[command line tool](https://www.edgedb.com/docs/cli/index), and—coming soon—a
cloud hosting platform. The goal is to rethink every aspect of how developers
model, migrate, manage, and query their database.
Here's a taste-test of EdgeDB's next-level developer experience: you can
install our CLI, spin up an instance, and open an interactive EdgeQL shell with
just three commands.
```
$ curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.edgedb.com | sh
$ edgedb project init
$ edgedb
edgedb> select "Hello world!"
```
Windows users: use this Powershell command to install the CLI.
```
PS> iwr https://ps1.edgedb.com -useb | iex
```
## Get started
To start learning about EdgeDB, check out the following resources:
- **[The quickstart](https://www.edgedb.com/docs/guides/quickstart)**. If
you're just starting out, the 10-minute quickstart guide is the fastest way
to get up and running.
- **[The interactive tutorial](https://www.edgedb.com/tutorial)**. For a
structured deep-dive into the EdgeQL query language, try the web-based
tutorial— no need to install anything.
- **[The e-book](https://www.edgedb.com/easy-edgedb)**. For the most
comprehensive walkthrough of EdgeDB concepts, check out our illustrated
e-book [Easy EdgeDB](https://www.edgedb.com/easy-edgedb). It's designed to
walk a total beginner through EdgeDB in its entirety, from the basics through
advanced concepts.
- **The docs.** Jump straight into the docs for
[schema modeling](https://www.edgedb.com/docs/datamodel/index) or
[EdgeQL](https://www.edgedb.com/docs/edgeql/index)!
## Contributing
PRs are always welcome! To get started, follow
[this guide](https://www.edgedb.com/docs/internals/dev) to build EdgeDB from
source on your local machine.
[File an issue 👉](https://github.com/edgedb/edgedb/issues/new/choose)
[Start a Discussion 👉](https://github.com/edgedb/edgedb/discussions/new)
[Join the discord 👉](https://discord.gg/umUueND6ag)
## License
The code in this repository is developed and distributed under the
Apache 2.0 license. See [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.
