Networkfrom

Networkfrom is a term used in some graph-processing libraries to describe an operation that constructs a network graph from a dataset by identifying which records define edges between nodes. In typical implementations, networkfrom takes a data source such as a table or list of records and two fields that identify the endpoints of each relationship; optional fields may attach edge attributes like weight or type. The resulting object is a graph consisting of nodes (the unique endpoints) and edges (the relationships). The function may produce directed or undirected graphs, depending on the specified parameters.

Common usage patterns involve providing the data source and naming the key columns that represent the source and target nodes, along with optional edge attributes. For example, a call might specify data, source='from_node', target='to_node', and weight='strength', with a directed flag to indicate whether the edges have direction. Some implementations also allow filtering conditions, handling of missing values, and automatic creation of node attributes from the input data.

Variation and relation to other functions: networkfrom resembles other constructors that create graphs from edge lists or adjacency lists, such as from_edgelist or from_adjlist in various libraries. The exact API and naming differ between ecosystems, so the term is descriptive rather than a universal standard. Users should consult library-specific documentation to understand parameter names, data formats, and how edge attributes are stored.

Applications and considerations: networkfrom is used to bootstrap networks from tabular data in social networks, transportation grids, or citation networks, enabling downstream analyses such as pathfinding, centrality measures, or community detection. Users should consider data quality, duplicate edges, self-loops, and attribute typing when constructing graphs.

See also: edge list constructors, adjacency list constructors, graph_from, NetworkX, igraph.