Export Your Code Map with vg export

Vibgrate Graph builds a rich code map, and vg export lets you take that map anywhere — into graph databases, visualization tools, documentation, or supply-chain pipelines. This article covers the export formats and how to control them with --format and --out.

Overview

vg export writes the code map in a format of your choosing. The supported formats are JSON, GraphML, Graphviz DOT, Neo4j Cypher, Markdown, HTML, CycloneDX SBOM, and SPDX. This makes the graph portable: you can analyze it in another tool, render it, or hand it to a downstream system.

Prerequisites

Build the code map first:

vg build

Export the graph

Choose a format and an output path:

vg export --format json --out code-map.json

For a graph database or visualization tool:

vg export --format graphml --out code-map.graphml
vg export --format dot --out code-map.dot
vg export --format cypher --out code-map.cypher

For documentation or review:

vg export --format markdown --out code-map.md
vg export --format html --out code-map.html

Choosing a format

• JSON — general-purpose interchange and custom tooling.
• GraphML / DOT — visualization in graph viewers and Graphviz.
• Neo4j Cypher — load the graph into a Neo4j database for querying.
• Markdown / HTML — human-readable documentation and shareable pages.
• CycloneDX / SPDX — supply-chain and SBOM workflows.

Options

• --format selects the output format from the list above.
• --out sets the destination file path. Choose an extension that matches the format so downstream tools recognize it.

Tips

• Confirm the graph is current with vg status before exporting so the output reflects your working tree.
• Re-run the export after rebuilding the map to keep external tools in sync.

Related

• Build the map with vg build.
• Check freshness with vg status.
• See graph export formats explained for guidance on picking the right one.

Exports are generated locally from the code map on your machine.