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TerminusDB Quickstart Tutorial

Complete this tutorial to get TerminusDB running and create your first database. Check off each step as you complete it!

1

Install Docker

TerminusDB runs in Docker for easy installation and portability. If you don't have Docker installed:

  1. Download Docker Desktop from docker.com
  2. Install and start Docker Desktop
  3. Verify installation by running: docker --version

2

Start TerminusDB Container

Run this command to download and start TerminusDB:

Example: Bash
docker run --pull always -d -p 127.0.0.1:6363:6363 -v terminusdb_storage:/app/terminusdb/storage --name terminusdb terminusdb/terminusdb-server:v12

This command:

  • Downloads the latest TerminusDB image
  • Starts a container named terminusdb
  • Opens port 6363 for the API
  • Creates a persistent volume terminusdb_storage for your data

3

Open the Dashboard

Navigate to the DFRNT Modeller in your browser:

You should see the DFRNT welcome screen. Sign up or login and create your account.

4

Connect with JavaScript Client

Install the TerminusDB JavaScript client:

Example: Bash
npm install @terminusdb/terminusdb-client

Create a connection to your local TerminusDB instance. Create a main.js file and run it with node main.js.

Example: JavaScript
import TerminusClient from "@terminusdb/terminusdb-client";
import {WOQL} from "@terminusdb/terminusdb-client";

const client = new TerminusClient.WOQLClient("http://127.0.0.1:6363", {
  user: "admin",
  organization: "admin"
});

// Connect and verify
client.connect({ key: "root", db: "my_first_db" }).then(() => {
  console.log("Connected to TerminusDB!");
});

5

Create Your First Database

Create a new database using the client:

Example: JavaScript
await client.createDatabase("my_first_db", {
  label: "My First Database",
  comment: "A tutorial database"
});

console.log("Database created successfully!");

6

Add a Schema

Define a simple schema for storing person records:

Example: JavaScript
const schema = {
  "@type": "Class",
  "@id": "Person",
  name: "xsd:string",
  age: "xsd:integer",
  email: "xsd:string"
};

await client.addDocument(schema, { graph_type: "schema" });

Remember to remove the database creation part from as the database is already created.

7

Insert Your First Document

Add a person document to your database:

Example: JavaScript
const person = {
  "@id": "Person/Alice",
  "@type": "Person",
  name: "Alice Johnson",
  age: 30,
  email: "alice@example.com"
};

await client.addDocument(person);
console.log("Document inserted!");

8

Query Your Data

Retrieve all person documents:

Example: JavaScript
const person = await client.getDocument({ type: "Person" });
console.log("People in database:", person);

8

Perform a WOQL Query

Example: JavaScript
const docs = await client.query(WOQL.read_document("Person/Alice", "v:doc"));
console.log("Alice:", docs.bindings);

Next Steps

Congratulations! You've completed the quickstart tutorial. Here's what to explore next:

Managing Your Container

Stop TerminusDB:

Example: Bash
docker stop terminusdb

Restart TerminusDB:

Example: Bash
docker restart terminusdb

View logs:

Example: Bash
docker logs terminusdb

Your data persists in the terminusdb_storage volume, so it's safe to stop and restart the container.

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