MySQL Workbench symbol reference
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22-09-2019 - |
Question
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?
Solution
According to Wikipedia, MySQL Workbench uses the Crows's Foot notation. These are (incomplete) references, but together they paint the whole picture:
- http://college.yukondude.com/2003_09_comp210/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);
- https://web.archive.org/web/20090724165001/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).
OTHER TIPS
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 ;-)