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Please note : This help page is not for the latest version of Enterprise Architect. The latest help can be found here.

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Data Modeling Notations

Enterprise Architect supports numerous settings related to data modeling that can influence how database objects are represented on diagrams. These settings, and how they can affect the representation of database objects, are described here.

Settings

Setting

Detail

See also

Stereotype Icons

Access: 'Design > Diagram > Manage > Properties > Elements : Use Stereotype Icons'

Default Value: True

Enterprise Architect provides a diagram-level setting for the display of stereotyped objects. When the checkbox is selected, database objects on the diagram are displayed with an icon representing their stereotype instead of the stereotype name.

Table element showing stereotype name instead of icon, in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect.  Table element showing stereotype icon instead of name, in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect.
Stereotype Visibility

Show Data Model Owner

Access: 'Design > Diagram > Manage > Properties > Elements : Show Data Model Owner'

Default Value: True

The system provides a diagram-level setting for the display of Owners. When the checkbox is selected, database objects on the current diagram will be displayed with their full name '{Owner.}ObjectName'.

Table element shown without owner name, in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect.  Table element shown with owner name, in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect. 

Define Element Characteristics

Show Column Details

Access: 'Design > Diagram > Manage > Properties > Features : Show Attribute Detail'

Default Value: Name Only

The system provides a diagram-level setting for the display of Table column names and datatypes. The available options are: 'Name Only' or 'Name and Type'.

Table element shown without attribute detail, in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect.    Table element shown with attribute detail, in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect.

Features Tab

Show Involved Column Details

Access: 'Design > Diagram > Manage > Properties > Features | Show Parameter Detail'

Default Value: Type Only

The system provides a diagram-level setting for the display of columns involved in a Table constraint. The available options are: 'None', 'Type Only', 'Name Only' and 'Full Details'.

In these examples, the Primary Key (PK) constraint 'PK_account' involves the column 'accountID'.

Table element shown with parameter detail set to None, in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect. Table element shown with parameter detail set to Type only, in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect.

Table element shown with parameter detail set to Name only, in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect. Table element shown with parameter detail set to Full Details, in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect.

Features Tab

Show Column Stereotype

Access: Start > Application > Preferences > Preferences > Objects: Show <<column>> stereotype

Default Value: True

Enterprise Architect provides a global-level setting that controls whether or not the <<column>> stereotype is displayed above each Table's columns. You can therefore hide the stereotype if you prefer, considering that attributes with a stereotype of <<column>> are the only valid option for Tables.

Table element shown with column stereotype shown, in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect.  Table element shown with column stereotype hidden, in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect.

Object Display Options

Connector Notation

Access: 'Design > Diagram > Manage > Properties > Connectors : Connector Notation'

Default Value: UML 2.1

Enterprise Architect supports three diagram notations for data modeling:

  • UML 2.1 - the standard UML 2.1 notation for connectors
    Database connections shown using UML notation, in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect.
  • Information Engineering - the Information Engineering (IE) connection style
    Database connections shown using Information Engineering notation, in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect.
  • IDEF1X - the Integrated Definition Methods IDEF1X connection style
    Database connections shown using IDEF1X notation, in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect.

(These are the same three connectors using the different notations.) The default notation for the Data Modeling diagram is 'Information Engineering', whilst the default notation for models created from Database Engineering Patterns is 'IDEF1X'.

Connectors Tab Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERDs)