import database with visio importer

[rabra]

Hallo,

now that visio importer 1.1 is available and works I have still another problem.

A database is made with entities in Visio (as far as I know). By importing these diagrams, in EA i get - as expected - entities. And the entities do not have columns and other things that database tables have.

I know that EA does not (yet??) have database diagrams so that herefor the importer is not really made.

But perhaps there is any trick to import the 'entitiy-' tables in a better way (something like make entities to tables...)?

Thanx,
R. B.

[«Midnight»]

Actually, you can do quite a bit of database modeling in EA. EA is not a high-end tool for this, but does a pretty good job of 'meat and potatoes' work. Visio does a bit better in some areas.

Since EA can do some data modeling, it makes sense to import Visio data models in some way, with different treatment than class models.

I think this would be a good suggestion for you to forward to Sparx. The first step is to post the suggestion to the Suggestions and Requests section of the forum. Then send this in as a feature request. You can get to the right place from the EA main menu via Help | On-line Resources | Request-a-Feature. In your feature request, include the URL to your forum thread.

Doing it this way will let the user community comment and express their support. It will also let Sparx monitor this to gauge demand and perhaps respond to the request.

David

[Paolo F Cantoni]

Hi R. B.,

Part of your problem is the overloading of the term Entity in the UML/EA/Modelling context.

Technically a DB Entity is a PIC/CIM concept corresponding to the Logical Data Model which gets transformed into a Table at the Physical Data Model (or PSM).

EA currently (build 802) has no native support for the Logical Data Model (and more espeically its transformation into a Physical Data Model - and vice versa - say in the way Embarcadero ER/Studio does).   That is to say a (ERA) model composed of DBEntities, DBLogicalRelationships and DBAttributes <-> a model composed of DBTables, DBPhysicalRelationships, and DBColumns.

That having been said, the Visio importer should ask if you would like Entities treated as Tables (and make the appropriate transformations.  As David points out, there's enough Database support at the PSM level in EA to meet most of your needs.

Better still, would be EA support for DBEntities and DBAttributes.

HTH,
Paolo

[Aaron B]

Unfortunately the Visio Importer does not currently support import of Database diagrams, but I have logged this as a feature request on your behalf.

EA supports database modeling with it's implementation of the  UML Data Modeling Profile from IBM/Rational.  For more information on data modeling in EA, please see:
http://www.sparxsystems.com.au/EAUserGuide/datamodelling2.htm