The two-minute sample

1 · Spin up PostgreSQL 19

Any PG19 instance (Beta 1 or newer) works. The official image is the fastest path:

docker run -d -p 5432:5432 -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres postgres:19beta1

2 · Create the graph

Connect with psql (user postgres, password postgres) and run:

CREATE TABLE people (
    id   int PRIMARY KEY,
    name text NOT NULL,
    born int
);

CREATE TABLE knows (
    src   int NOT NULL REFERENCES people (id),
    dst   int NOT NULL REFERENCES people (id),
    since int,
    PRIMARY KEY (src, dst)
);

INSERT INTO people VALUES (1,'Alice',1985), (2,'Bob',1990), (3,'Carol',1988), (4,'Dave',1992);
INSERT INTO knows  VALUES (1,2,2010), (2,3,2012), (3,4,2015), (1,4,2020);

CREATE PROPERTY GRAPH social
    VERTEX TABLES (
        people LABEL person PROPERTIES ALL COLUMNS
    )
    EDGE TABLES (
        knows
            SOURCE      KEY (src) REFERENCES people (id)
            DESTINATION KEY (dst) REFERENCES people (id)
            LABEL knows PROPERTIES ALL COLUMNS
    );

Two ordinary tables, four people, four knows edges — and one CREATE PROPERTY GRAPH statement that declares how they form a graph. Note PROPERTIES ALL COLUMNS: it exposes the key columns as properties, which PGQViewer needs to reconstruct row identity (see Limitations).

3 · Draw it

1. Open PGQViewer at http://localhost:8080 and connect. If PostgreSQL runs on the same machine as the PGQViewer container, use host host.docker.internal.
2. Pick public.socialin the sidebar — it auto-selects if it's the only graph.
3. Paste the pattern and press ⌘/Ctrl + Enter:

(a IS person)-[k IS knows]->(b IS person)

Four teal person nodes appear, connected by directed knows edges. Click Alice to see her properties in the footer; double-click any node to expand its 1-hop neighbourhood; drag nodes to rearrange them; switch the layout dropdown to dagre to see the hierarchy.

Where to go next

• Querying — MATCH patterns, WHERE clauses inside element fillers, and SQL mode for everything else.
• The canvas — layouts, theming, exports.