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Installation

Requirements

Before installing ifc-graph, ensure you have:

  • Python 3.9 or higher
  • Neo4j Database (version 4.x or 5.x)
  • pip package manager

Installing from PyPI

The recommended way to install ifc-graph is via pip:

pip install ifc-graph

This will install the package along with all required dependencies:

  • ifcopenshell - For parsing IFC files
  • neo4j - Python driver for Neo4j database
  • pyyaml - For configuration file parsing
  • python-dotenv - For environment variable management

Installing from Source

If you want to install the latest development version or contribute to the project:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/mugojames254/ifc-graph-database.git
cd ifc-graph-database

# Install in development mode
pip install -e .

With Development Dependencies

For development work, install with dev dependencies:

pip install -e ".[dev]"

This includes:

  • pytest - Testing framework
  • pytest-cov - Coverage reporting
  • black - Code formatter
  • ruff - Linter
  • mypy - Type checker

With Documentation Dependencies

To build the documentation locally:

pip install -e ".[docs]"

Verifying Installation

After installation, verify everything works:

# Check the version
ifc-graph --version

# View help
ifc-graph --help

You should see output similar to:

ifc-graph 0.1.1

Setting Up Neo4j

ifc-graph requires a running Neo4j database. Here are your options:

  1. Download Neo4j Desktop
  2. Create a new project and database
  3. Start the database
  4. Note the connection URI (usually bolt://localhost:7687)

Option 2: Docker

docker run -d \
  --name neo4j \
  -p 7474:7474 -p 7687:7687 \
  -e NEO4J_AUTH=neo4j/your_password \
  neo4j:latest

Option 3: Neo4j AuraDB (Cloud)

  1. Create a free account at Neo4j AuraDB
  2. Create a new database instance
  3. Note the connection URI and credentials

Next Steps

Once installed, proceed to the Quick Start guide to process your first IFC file.