Does anyone know of a good tool to quickly and easily create a diagram for a database schema? I don't need it to generate SQL to create the schema, I just want to diagram it.
My current process involves drawing out the db schema by hand on paper, works great but there has got to be a better way?
Microsoft Visio will generate database schema diagrams from a given database connection.
I use this regularly with great success against Oracle and SQL Server databases.
Microsoft Viso and/or SQL Server Designer.
Microsoft Visio can hook up to your DB and generate the tables needed and it will reverse engineer your database.
SQL Server Designer works directly with your DB so you tell it what tables you want to see and it'll diagram it and show the relations. The power of SQL Designer is that I use it to create my foreign key relationships by just drag and drop.
I became a fan of TOAD Data Modeler a while back. It is compatible with multiple database engines and has a nice range of features to generate anything I need. You can also customize the SQL output that is generated, so you can have a full schema, a partial schema, or even just a few stored procedures that you recently created.
While it does cost a pretty penny, they are always working on a beta for the next version/updates, which is free to use. I've been in the "perpetual beta" phase and have only run into a few snags, nothing critical. You can signup and download the beta version here.
DBDesigner at FabForce.net is a free, fully featured, easy to use tool.
DBDesigner 4 is a visual database design system that integrates database design, modeling, creation and maintenance into a single, seamless environment.
It combines professional features and a clear and simple user interface to offer the most efficient way to handle your databases.
DBDesigner 4 compares to products like Oracle's Designer, IBM's Rational Rose, Computer Associates's ERwin and theKompany's DataArchitect but is an Open Source Project available for Microsoft Windows 2k/XP and Linux KDE/Gnome. It is release on the GPL.
It's successor, MySQL Workbench, is worth a look too.
MySQL Workbench is a next-generation visual database design application that can be used to efficiently design, manage and document database schemata.
Enterprise Architect is another good but not free data model designer but they have a trial version
Similar to SQL Designer, try out SchemaBank. They have versioning (so that you can keep track different versions of your design) and collaboration features (you can share out your drawing to authorized persons for viewing).
Not strictly what you are looking for as it's for documenting existing schema, but worth bring to people's attention I think...
SchemaSpy (java) is excellent.
It produces a set of html files, complete with relationship diagrams. It has the ability to analyse databases from many different vendors (including the open source ones of course).
Have a look at PowerArchitect http://www.sqlpower.ca/page/architect
If you are using PostgreSQL, the next version of pgAdmin apparently contains a designer as well http://blog.guillaume.lelarge.info/index.php/post/2010/08/16/pgAdmin-GSoC%3A-Database-Designer
I think DbSchema is really cool (free version has some limitations though).
My favourite features:
DbVisualizer (http://www.dbvis.com/) has some nice diagramming features as well.
This Wikipedia page: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entity-relationship_model#ER_diagramming_tools) has a good list of software.
I have been using mySql Workbench...
but before that I used Dia.
Both are free, dia is obviously more of a visio-like tool, while MySql WB is targeted for one job.
I had previously been messing around with cloud service sites (flowchart.com and etc) but they're not quite there yet.