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Merged
stefano-ottolenghi merged 18 commits into from
Oct 2, 2025
Merged

Add Bolt 6.0 docs #80

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d1c8741
Add Bolt 6.0 docs
robsdedude Jul 18, 2025
dca2913
fixup! Add Bolt 6.0 docs
robsdedude Jul 18, 2025
0361cd7
Editorial changes
robsdedude Jul 18, 2025
5e12ab0
Fix server version with bolt 6.x GA
robsdedude Jul 18, 2025
020e1f3
Fix footnote formatting and update wording
robsdedude Jul 18, 2025
6c7a2cf
Simplify footnote about version `+`
robsdedude Jul 21, 2025
40790ec
Revert changing link anchor
robsdedude Jul 21, 2025
fd13137
Minor wording fix
robsdedude Jul 21, 2025
534c2e6
Revert changing link anchor
robsdedude Jul 23, 2025
4262945
Add int64 vector type marker
robsdedude Aug 4, 2025
0c0560e
Vector marker: specify float types are big-endian
robsdedude Aug 5, 2025
eedab02
Vector type: specify `data` being markerless
robsdedude Aug 5, 2025
9d996fc
Reword "X.Y+" as "X.Y - current"
robsdedude Aug 8, 2025
e046279
Simplify compatibility table and be more explicit about "current"
robsdedude Aug 8, 2025
34a9f05
Add Failure message field description for 6.0 (#82)
bigmontz Aug 25, 2025
12f03c6
Bolt 6.0: bump required server version to 2025.10
robsdedude Sep 29, 2025
e4bf1a1
Add UnsupportedType structure docs
robsdedude Oct 2, 2025
4923409
typo
stefano-ottolenghi Oct 2, 2025
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21 changes: 19 additions & 2 deletions modules/ROOT/pages/bolt-compatibility.adoc
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Expand Up @@ -2,6 +2,22 @@

= Bolt Protocol and Neo4j compatibility

:fn-version-plus: pass:c,q[footnote:calver[`+` includes all newer versions until further notice. \
At some point, the server might drop support for older Bolt versions, but there's no plan or guarantee for when or if that will happen. \
As soon as a decision is made, it will be documented here.]]

== Bolt 6.x

[cols="^,^",options="header"]
|===
| Neo4j version
| Bolt `6.0`

| `2025.08`+{fn-version-plus}
| `x`

|===

== Bolt 5.x

[cols="^,^,^,^,^,^,^,^,^,^",options="header"]
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -85,7 +101,7 @@
|
|

| `5.26`+
| `5.26`+{fn-version-plus}
| `x`
| `x`
| `x`
Expand All @@ -98,6 +114,7 @@

|===

[NOTE]
Bolt version 5.5 is not used, and no Neo4j server will ever negotiate it.

== Bolt 4.x
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -148,7 +165,7 @@ Bolt version 5.5 is not used, and no Neo4j server will ever negotiate it.
| `(x)`
| `x`

| `5.0`+
| `5.0`+{fn-version-plus}
| `(x)`
| `(x)`
| `(x)`
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9 changes: 7 additions & 2 deletions modules/ROOT/pages/bolt/message.adoc
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Expand Up @@ -2130,6 +2130,11 @@ RECORD [{"point": [1, 2]}, "example_data", 123]
The sections below list the changes of messages compared to the previous version.
Please also check for changes in xref:./structure-semantics.adoc#structure-summary[Structure Semantics].

[[messages-summary-6]]
=== Version 6.0

** No changes from version 5.8

[[messages-summary-58]]
=== Version 5.8

Expand All @@ -2153,7 +2158,7 @@ Please also check for changes in xref:./structure-semantics.adoc#structure-summa
[[messages-summary-55]]
=== Version 5.5
[WARNING]
.Unsupported (and undocumented 😏) protocol version
.Unsupported (and undocumented 😏️) protocol version
====
Version 5.5 was only ever released in some drivers, but has a flawed design.
No Neo4j server will negotiate this protocol version.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -2182,7 +2187,7 @@ No Neo4j server will negotiate this protocol version.
** `LOGOFF` message has been added.

[[messages-summary-5]]
=== Version 5
=== Version 5.0

** No changes from version 4.4

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44 changes: 40 additions & 4 deletions modules/ROOT/pages/bolt/structure-semantics.adoc
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Expand Up @@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ The table below lists the PackStream specified structures and their code and tag
| `Y`
| `59`

| <<structure-vector, `Vector`>>
| `V`
| `56`

3+| *Legacy Structures*

| <<structure-legacy-datetime, `Legacy DateTime`>>
Expand All @@ -83,7 +87,7 @@ The table below lists the PackStream specified structures and their code and tag

A snapshot of a node within a graph database.

_The `element_id` field was added with version *5.0* and does not exist in earlier versions._
The `element_id` field was added with version *5.0* and does not exist in earlier versions. label:new[Introduced in bolt 5.0]

*tag byte:* `4E`

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -116,7 +120,7 @@ B4 4E

A snapshot of a relationship within a graph database.

_The fields `element_id`, `start_node_element_id`, and `end_node_element_id` were added with version *5.0* and do not exist in earlier versions._
The fields `element_id`, `start_node_element_id`, and `end_node_element_id` were added with version *5.0* and do not exist in earlier versions. label:new[Introduced in bolt 5.0]

*tag byte:* `52`

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -158,7 +162,7 @@ B8 52
A relationship without start or end node ID.
It is used internally for Path serialization.

_The `element_id` field was added with version *5.0* and does not exist in earlier versions._
The `element_id` field was added with version *5.0* and does not exist in earlier versions. label:new[Introduced in bolt 5.0]

*tag byte:* `72`

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -275,6 +279,7 @@ Where the `nanoseconds` are nanoseconds since midnight.

[[structure-datetime]]
=== `DateTime`
label:new[Introduced in bolt 5.0]

An instant capturing the date, the time, and the time zone.
The time zone information is specified with a zone offset.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -321,6 +326,7 @@ The deserialization of such a `DateTime` structure expectedly happens in reverse

[[structure-datetimezoneid]]
=== `DateTimeZoneId`
label:new[Introduced in bolt 5.0]

An instant capturing the date, the time, and the time zone.
The time zone information is specified with a zone identifier.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -458,10 +464,35 @@ Point3D::Structure(

Where the `srid` is a _Spatial Reference System Identifier_.

[[structure-vector]]
=== `Vector`
label:new[Introduced in bolt 6.0]

An ordered collection of homogeneous types.

*tag byte:* `56`

*Number of fields:* 2
----
Vector::Structure(
type_marker::Bytes,
data::Bytes,
)
----

* `type_marker` specifies the inner type of the vector:
** `C8` for `8-bit signed integer`
** `C9` for `16-bit signed integer` (in big-endian order)
** `CA` for `32-bit signed integer` (in big-endian order)
** `C6` for `32-bit floating point value` (IEEE-754 single precision representation)
** `C1` for `64-bit floating point value` (IEEE-754 double precision representation)
* `data` is a sequence of values encoded as specified in `type_marker`.

== Legacy Structures

[[structure-legacy-datetime]]
=== `Legacy DateTime`
label:deprecated[Removed after bolt 4.4]

An instant capturing the date, the time, and the time zone.
The time zone information is specified with a zone offset.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -509,6 +540,7 @@ The deserialization of such a `DateTime` structure expectedly happens in reverse

[[structure-legacy-datetimezoneid]]
=== `Legacy DateTimeZoneId`
label:deprecated[Removed after bolt 4.4]

An instant capturing the date, the time, and the time zone.
The time zone information is specified with a zone identifier.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -589,7 +621,11 @@ Since `DateTimeZoneId` does not include the timezone offset, the resolution of t
The sections below list the changes of structure semantics in versions where they changed.
Please also check for changes in xref:./message.adoc#messages-summary[Bolt Messages].

[[structure-summary-5]]
[[structure-summary-60]]
=== Version 6.0
** The <<structure-vector, `Vector`>> structure was added.

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@bigmontz bigmontz Jul 21, 2025

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I think we need to hold to see if we will go with preview release of the protocol.

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@robsdedude robsdedude Jul 21, 2025

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If team networking prefers to hold back the docs until the protocol has been released into the wild server-side (remember, drivers are already out - albeit in alpha phase), then I'm happy to wait with merging this PR until then.

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@bigmontz bigmontz Jul 21, 2025

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The protocol is there, but it might not be enabled by default.

[[structure-summary-50]]
=== Version 5.0

** The `element_id` field was added to <<structure-node>>.
Expand Down