Database Documentation

[Stephen]

I have a fairly simple task of producing some documentation from a SQL Server database and I want to use EA to do it.  I have gone through the help contents and looked at some of the related threads but a few questions remain.

1. What type of diagram is best for ERD's?  I was leaning towards "Logical" Diagrams.

2. The DB has many tables soI want to do some higher level diagrams of just tables with PK and FK references and then some more detailed ones with all fields.  When I do a logical diagram it seems that all fields are displayed (some tables have 60+ fields) which makes the diagram cluttered.  What is the best way to do some higher level table diagrams showing cardinality and optionality?

3. Organizing things in project explorer is proving difficult.  If one table is in multiple diagrams, the table object appears several times.  Do I need to import the table for each diagram it appears in or can I just add it to new diagrams some other way?

[CJ]

G'day Stephen,

1.  Yup, go with the "Logical" diagram.  I don't think I'd call it ERD, though.

2-3.  Just to make sure we're on the same page as far as process goes... Create a package (most likely in the logical view); put an empty logical diagram in the package; right-click on the package, and "Code Engineering"/"Import DDL Schema from ODBC" will load-up that package with all the tables you choose, and drops each table on the logical diagram in the package.

Each table should only appear once in the project explorer, in either the package you imported into, or some other package you moved the table into.  Create any number of logical diagrams you need, in any packages you've organized, and then just drag and drop, from the project explorer, each table into whichever and however many diagrams you need.  To hide the attributes, check the properties for the diagram (right-click on the diagram), and click the check box hide attributes.  You can also set feature visibility for each object on your diagram if you prefer.

When dragging and dropping tables (they are stereotyped classes), be careful not to create objects (lookup "Drop Objects from Tree" in EA help).

Hope that helps.

[Stephen]

Well now I know I must be doing something wrong because I can't even see a check box that says "Hide Attributes".

Where is this?

[Tjerk]

Hi Stephen,

Try right-clicking on the background of a diagram, not on an object. Then, on the right side there is a dropdown for "Show parameter detail", where you can select "None". For methods, you can use the "Visible class members" option area.

Hope this helps,
Tjerk

[CJ]

G'day Stephen,

Just to add a little to Tjerk's post...

In the properties dialog for the diagram, in the first column of check boxes, you'll find:

"Hide Relationships"
"Hide Attributes"
"Hide Operations"