> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.helix-db.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Shape query results

> Return properties, computed values, aggregates, and correlated binding rows

<div className="flex flex-wrap gap-2"><Badge color="blue" size="sm">Guide</Badge></div>

Projection operations turn a traversal stream into the response shape your application
needs. They are terminal: a projection finishes that traversal entry.

## Choose a projection

| Intent                     | Operation                                          |
| -------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| Selected fields            | `valueMap` / `value_map`                           |
| Renamed or computed fields | `project`                                          |
| Correlated row fields      | `projectBindings` / `project_bindings`             |
| Scalar values              | `id`, `label`, `values`                            |
| Aggregates                 | `count`, `sum`, `min`, `max`, `mean`, `groupCount` |

Virtual fields include `$id`, `$label`, `$from`, `$to`, `$distance`, and `$score`
where the preceding operation provides them.

## Rename fields

<CodeGroup>
  ```rust Rust theme={"languages":{"custom":["languages/helixql.json"]}}
  g().n_with_label("User").project(vec![
      PropertyProjection::renamed("$id", "user_id"),
      PropertyProjection::new("name"),
  ])
  ```

  ```ts TypeScript theme={"languages":{"custom":["languages/helixql.json"]}}
  g().nWithLabel("User").project([
    PropertyProjection.renamed("$id", "user_id"),
    PropertyProjection.new("name"),
  ])
  ```

  ```go Go theme={"languages":{"custom":["languages/helixql.json"]}}
  helix.G().NWithLabel("User").Project(
  	helix.ProjectPropAs("$id", "user_id"),
  	helix.ProjectPropAs("name", "name"),
  )
  ```

  ```python Python theme={"languages":{"custom":["languages/helixql.json"]}}
  g().n_with_label("User").project([
      PropertyProjection.renamed("$id", "user_id"),
      PropertyProjection.new("name"),
  ])
  ```

  ```json JSON theme={"languages":{"custom":["languages/helixql.json"]}}
  {
    "request_type": "read",
    "query_name": "project_users",
    "query": {
      "read": {
        "entries": [{
          "query": {
            "name": "users",
            "root": {
              "project": {
                "input": {
                  "nodes_where": {
                    "predicate": {
                      "eq": {
                        "left": { "property": "$label" },
                        "right": { "constant": { "string": "User" } }
                      }
                    }
                  }
                },
                "projections": [
                  {
                    "property": {
                      "source": "$id",
                      "alias": "user_id"
                    }
                  },
                  {
                    "property": {
                      "source": "name",
                      "alias": "name"
                    }
                  }
                ]
              }
            }
          }
        }],
        "returns": ["users"]
      }
    }
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Project correlated bindings

`projectDistinctBindings` removes duplicate projected tuples. Missing optional bindings
remain row-local and can be handled with `coalesce`. Bind each candidate path first,
then project `BindingProjection` values from those named row-local bindings.

## Aggregate

Append `count()` to a filtered traversal and return that named entry; aggregation runs
inside the transaction instead of materializing every row in the client.

## Keep responses small

* Project only fields the caller uses.
* Project `$distance` before traversing away from a search hit if the score is needed
  later.
* Use aggregates in the engine instead of returning full rows for client-side counting.
* Add `distinct` only when duplicate elimination is semantically required.

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Bindings and branches" icon="code-branch" href="/database/helix-db/query-guides/advanced">
    Preserve row-local values across optional and union operations.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Vector search" icon="magnifying-glass" href="/database/helix-db/query-guides/vector-indexes">
    Create an index, rank vector hits, and preserve distance metadata.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>