Cypher supports querying with parameters. This allows developers to not to have to do string building to create a query, and it also makes caching of execution plans much easier for Cypher.

Parameters can be used for literals in the WHERE clause, for the index key and index value in the START clause, index queries, and finally for node/relationship ids.

Accepted names for parameter are letters and number, and any combination of these.

Here follows a few examples of how you can use parameters from Java.

Parameter for node id. 

Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<String, Object>();
params.put( "id", 0 );
ExecutionResult result = engine.execute( "start n=node({id}) return n.name", params );

Parameter for node object. 

Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<String, Object>();
params.put( "node", andreasNode );
ExecutionResult result = engine.execute( "start n=node({node}) return n.name", params );

Parameter for multiple node ids. 

Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<String, Object>();
params.put( "id", Arrays.asList( 0, 1, 2 ) );
ExecutionResult result = engine.execute( "start n=node({id}) return n.name", params );

Parameter for string literal. 

Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<String, Object>();
params.put( "name", "Johan" );
ExecutionResult result = engine.execute( "start n=node(0,1,2) where n.name = {name} return n", params );

Parameter for index key and value. 

Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<String, Object>();
params.put( "key", "name" );
params.put( "value", "Michaela" );
ExecutionResult result = engine.execute( "start n=node:people({key} = {value}) return n", params );

Parameter for index query. 

Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<String, Object>();
params.put( "query", "name:Andreas" );
ExecutionResult result = engine.execute( "start n=node:people({query}) return n", params );

Numeric parameters for SKIP and LIMIT. 

Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<String, Object>();
params.put( "s", 1 );
params.put( "l", 1 );
ExecutionResult result = engine.execute( "start n=node(0,1,2) return n.name skip {s} limit {l}", params );

Parameter for regular expression. 

Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<String, Object>();
params.put( "regex", ".*h.*" );
ExecutionResult result = engine.execute( "start n=node(0,1,2) where n.name =~ {regex} return n.name", params );