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How to Extract Subgraphs

Create focused views of your graph by extracting specific nodes and their connections.

Quick Answer​

# Extract specific nodes
grph subgraph graph.gexf node1 node2 node3 --output subset.gexf

# Extract neighborhood around a node
grph ego graph.gexf central-node --radius 2 --output neighborhood.gexf

Methods​

Method 1: Ego Network (Neighborhood)​

Extract a node and everything within N steps:

# Get @codequeen and everyone 1 step away
grph ego social.gexf codequeen --radius 1

# Get Oxford Circus and everything within 2 stops
grph ego underground.gexf oxford-circus --radius 2

Method 2: Specific Nodes​

Extract exactly the nodes you specify:

# Extract just UK airports
grph subgraph flights.gexf LTN LGW STN BRS EDI MAN BFS

Method 3: Based on Path​

Extract nodes along a path:

# First find the path
grph path graph.gexf A B

# Then extract those nodes manually
grph subgraph graph.gexf A intermediate1 intermediate2 B

Saving Subgraphs​

Add --output to save:

grph ego graph.gexf central --radius 2 --output focused.gexf

Use Cases​

  • Reduce complexity: Focus on relevant parts of large graphs
  • Visualization: Create manageable views for diagrams
  • Analysis: Study local structure without noise