Edgeid

Edgeid is a term used to refer to a unique identifier assigned to an edge in a graph data structure or dataset. In graph models, edges (also called relationships or connections) link pairs of vertices, and an edge ID provides a stable reference to a specific edge, separate from the identities of its endpoints.

Creation and form. An edge ID may be generated automatically by the graph storage engine, assigned by a user, or derived from a combination of attributes such as the identifiers of the incident vertices and an edge label. The ID can take various forms, including integers, strings, or composite keys. In some schemas, edge IDs are stored explicitly as a dedicated field (for example edge_id or edgeid in a dataset), while in others the system maintains internal IDs that are not exposed to users.

Usage and implications. Edge IDs enable precise retrieval, updates, and deletions of edges, support efficient indexing and querying, and help ensure edge-level operations are executed without ambiguity. They are particularly important in scenarios that require referencing edges independently of their connected vertices, such as edge-centric analytics, attribute updates, or serialization/deserialization of graph data.

Context and variations. Different graph databases and libraries handle edge identifiers in distinct ways. Some property graph systems expose explicit edge IDs to users and allow manipulation of those IDs, while others provide internal IDs that are not guaranteed to be stable across migrations or exports. In RDF and some Boolean-typed models, edges may be represented as predicates or relations with IRIs rather than simple numeric IDs, reducing the role of a separate edge identity. The term edgeid is commonly used as a field name in tabular graph representations and schemas.