Exporting Graphs

Introduction

The export command serializes your code knowledge graph into standard file formats for use in external tools, visualization platforms, and documentation systems. rgctl supports six export formats: JSON, GraphML, Graphviz (DOT), Mermaid, Obsidian vault, and OKF (Open Knowledge Foundation).

Whether you want to load your code graph into Neo4j, visualize it in Gephi, embed diagrams in documentation, or browse it as an Obsidian vault, export produces the right format.

Use Cases

• Graph database import. Export to GraphML for loading into Neo4j, Gephi, or yEd.
• Documentation diagrams. Export to Mermaid or Graphviz for embedding in markdown docs.
• Knowledge management. Export to Obsidian for browsing the code graph as interlinked notes.
• Data analysis. Export to JSON for custom scripts and analysis pipelines.
• Interoperability. Export to OKF for knowledge management platforms.
• Archival. Save a snapshot of the codebase structure for later comparison.

Example Project

This guide uses the CoolStore (example/coolstore). Make sure you have run discover first:

rgctl -r example/coolstore discover

Step-by-Step

1. Export to GraphML

Export all functions to GraphML format:

rgctl -r example/coolstore export \
  --export-format graphml \
  --export-output /tmp/coolstore.graphml \
  --query "type:Function"

Output:

[>] rgctl export
Exported 7526 nodes, 21396 edges -> /tmp/coolstore.graphml
[✓] rgctl export finished in 68ms

What happened:

• rgctl exported all 7,526 function nodes and 21,396 edges (calls, contains, imports) to a GraphML file.
• The file is 6.2 MB and can be opened in Gephi, yEd, or any GraphML-compatible tool.
• The --query "type:Function" filter restricts the export to function nodes only.

2. Export Everything to JSON

Export the entire graph (all node types) to JSON:

rgctl -r example/coolstore export \
  --export-format json \
  --export-output /tmp/coolstore.json \
  --query all

Output:

[>] rgctl export
Exported 14763 nodes, 50082 edges -> /tmp/coolstore.json
[✓] rgctl export finished in 70ms

The all query exports every node and edge in the graph -- 14,763 nodes and 50,082 edges for the CoolStore application.

3. Filtered Export

Use query filters to export subsets of the graph:

# Export only classes
rgctl -r example/coolstore export \
  --export-format json \
  --export-output /tmp/coolstore-classes.json \
  --query "type:Class"

# Export by name
rgctl -r example/coolstore export \
  --export-format json \
  --export-output /tmp/cart-service.json \
  --query "name:ShoppingCartService"

# Export all functions
rgctl -r example/coolstore export \
  --export-format graphml \
  --export-output /tmp/coolstore-functions.graphml \
  --query functions

4. Export to Obsidian Vault

Create an Obsidian vault where each heading section becomes an interlinked note:

rgctl -r example/coolstore export \
  --export-format obsidian \
  --export-output /tmp/coolstore-vault \
  --query all

This creates a directory of markdown files that you can open in Obsidian, with wikilinks between related nodes. Each function, class, and module becomes a note with backlinks to its callers and callees.

For documentation-only repos, see Markdown Context Graph — Obsidian export of heading sections, OKF JSON, and doc semantic index.

5. Export to Graphviz (DOT)

Generate a DOT file for rendering with Graphviz:

rgctl -r example/coolstore export \
  --export-format graphviz \
  --export-output /tmp/coolstore.dot \
  --query "name:ShoppingCartService"

Render to SVG:

dot -Tsvg /tmp/coolstore.dot -o /tmp/coolstore.svg

6. Export to Mermaid

Generate a Mermaid diagram for embedding in markdown:

rgctl -r example/coolstore export \
  --export-format mermaid \
  --export-output /tmp/coolstore.mmd \
  --query "name:ShoppingCartService"

The output can be pasted directly into a markdown file or rendered by any Mermaid-compatible viewer.

7. Export to OKF

Export in Open Knowledge Foundation JSON format:

rgctl -r example/coolstore export \
  --export-format okf \
  --export-output /tmp/coolstore-okf.json \
  --query all

Query Filter Syntax

The --query parameter accepts the following filter expressions:

Note: these are filter expressions, not full GQL MATCH queries.

Export Formats Comparison

Benefits

• Standard formats. Every export format is an industry standard with broad tool support.
• Flexible filtering. Export the entire graph or just the subset you need.
• Fast. Exporting 14,000+ nodes with 50,000+ edges completes in under 100ms.
• Multiple use cases. From CI artifacts to documentation to interactive exploration.
• Obsidian integration. Turn your code graph into a browsable knowledge vault.

Related Guides

• Discovering and Indexing a Codebase -- must run discover before exporting
• Graph Query Language -- use GQL for more complex queries before exporting
• HTTP Server and Dashboard -- interactive exploration as an alternative to static export
• Hybrid CPG -- cpg export for CPG-specific GraphSON/GraphML export