I'm looking at a database diagram generated by MySQL Workbench (actually, DBDesigner4), but I'm not familiar with it so I couldn't figure out some of the symbols it uses for relationships and fields. Does anyone know a good legend?
+1
A:
I don't know DBDesigner4, but I'm sometimes using MySQL Workbench.
It allows you to do modelisations using UML diagrams ; so, I suppose the symbols are quite close to those generally used with UML.
Searching about UML might get you some helpful answers ; for instance, taking a look at those pages :
Those will probably not get you all the answers you seek ; but they will most likely at least answer some of them :-)
And reading those can only be good for you, considering you are using UML ;-)
Pascal MARTIN
2009-09-08 21:52:35
Thanks! I found the answer (Crows's Foot notation) in one of those links. If you know a better reference to that notation, please post.
obvio171
2009-09-08 22:22:22
A:
According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entity-relationship%5Fmodel#Crow.27s%5FFoot), MySQL Workbench uses the Crows's Foot notation. These are (incomplete) references, but together they paint the whole picture:
- http://college.yukondude.com/2003%5F09%5Fcomp210/html/note-container.php?file=02^Handout^Crow~s_Foot_Entity-Relationship_Diagram_Notation.html (covers entities a little better);
- http://www.scribd.com/doc/464379/Crows-Foot-Notation-ER-Diagrams (better job at explaining cardinality notation);
- http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/business/sylvester/cis164/er2b.htm (covers solid and dashed lines -- identifying and non-identifying relationships--, which are missing from the first two references).
Edit: links are showing screwed up, so I inlined them as text. Sorry about that.
obvio171
2009-09-08 22:16:24