Lesson 6.2: Managing databases

Connecting to the server

TypeDB Studio manages the connection automatically. With native drivers, instantiate a driver object and open transactions directly.

from typedb.driver import TypeDB, Credentials, DriverOptions

DB = "bookstore"
address = "localhost:1729"
credentials = Credentials("admin", "password")
options = DriverOptions(is_tls_enabled=True, tls_root_ca_path=None)

with TypeDB.driver(address, credentials, options) as driver:
    # code goes here

By default, TLS is enabled without an explicit TLS signing certificate. This means that TypeDB Cloud deployments, which manages a known certificate will be automatically accessible with an encrypted connection. Self-managed CE instances will either have to create a known certificate chain, or manually share a certificate between drivers and TypeDB server.

It possible, though not recommended, to use TypeDB without TLS encryption, as this will transmit credentials and data over the network in plain text.

The driver is created with the server address, credentials, and options, and should ideally be used via a context manager to ensure resources are cleaned up on exit.

Always ensure the driver’s destructor is called (use a context manager) to prevent lingering resources.

There are three key ways we can use a driver object:

  • Manage databases.

  • Manage users.

  • Use transactions.

We’ll cover managing databases and users in this lesson, and then see how to open transactions in Lesson 6.3.

Managing databases

Database management controls can be accessed through the databases property (in Python, in other languages use a function call) of a driver object. The following code snippet shows some of its methods.

with TypeDB.driver(address, credentials, options) as driver:
    # Creates a new database with the specified name.
    driver.databases.create(DB)

    # Checks if a database with the specified name exists.
    database_exists: bool = driver.databases.contains(DB)

    # Retrieves a database object by specified name.
    specific_database: Database = driver.databases.get(DB)

    # Retrieves a list of database objects for every database.
    all_databases: list[Database] = driver.databases.all()
Exercise

Write a function to create a new database, replacing any existing database with the same name. The function should have the following signature.

force_create_database(driver: TypeDBDriver, database_name: str) -> None
Sample solution 
def force_create_database(driver: TypeDBDriver, database_name: str) -> None:
    if driver.databases.contains(database_name):
        driver.databases.get(database_name).delete()
    driver.databases.create(database_name)

Write a function to print every database’s name and schema. The function should have the following signature.

print_database_details(driver: TypeDBDriver) -> None
Sample solution 
def print_database_details(driver: TypeDBDriver) -> None:
    for database in driver.databases.all():
        print(database.name)
        print(database.schema())

Managing users

When using an admin’s credentials, we can access user management controls through the users property of a driver object. The following code snippet shows some of its methods.

with TypeDB.driver(address, credentials, options) as driver:
    # Creates a new user with the specified username and password.
    driver.users.create("username", "password")

    # Checks if a user with the specified username exists.
    user_exists: bool = driver.users.contains("username")

    # Retrieves a user object by specified username.
    specific_user: User = driver.users.get("username")

    # Retrieves a list of user objects for every user.
    all_users: list[User] = driver.users.all()

    # Deletes a user with the specified username.
    driver.users.delete("username")

While Admins can manipuluate users, regular and admin users can retrieve the user object corresponding to the current user.

with TypeDB.driver(address, credentials, options) as driver:
    # Retrieves a user object corresponding to the current user,
    # according to the credentials provided to the driver object.
    current_user: User = driver.users.get_current_user()