Make an Entity Relationship Diagram in Visio and Using a Free Program
Entity Relationship Diagram, also known as ER diagram, is a visual tool that can help you create a clear illustration of your database design. It is also the way to visualize data in a database and serves as documentation by showing the entities and their relationships. To create this form of diagram, you will need a tool that offers the foundational blocks for ER diagrams.
Microsoft Visio is the most famous program for creating diagrams and flowcharts. On that note, we prepared a tutorial on how you can operate this program to construct ER diagrams. Without further discussion, continue reading and learn how to create an ER diagram in Visio.
- Part 1. How to Create an ER Diagram with the Best Alternative to Visio
- Part 2. How to Create an ER Diagram in Visio
- Part 3. FAQs About Creating an ER Diagram
Part 1. How to Create an ER Diagram with the Best Alternative to Visio
It is best to create diagrams and flowcharts using a free program. In this case, you can use MindOnMap. The program is primarily a mind mapping tool and helps make decent ER diagrams. It has basic shapes like an oval to show attributes, a diamond to establish relationships, a rectangle to show entity, etc. Aside from that, it hosts an extensive amount of icons and symbols library that allows you to make comprehensible diagrams and mind maps.
There are various themes to help style your diagrams quickly. All you have to do is add information and elements to the diagram. Alternatively, users may customize their maps by editing the fill color, border thickness, etc. In addition, you can change the font format, alignment, color, and many more. On top of that, if you prefer to work on a mobile device for convenience, MindOnMap supports iOS and Android devices. Provided you have a browser and an internet connection. Here is a step-by-step tutorial to create an ER diagram tool in Visio alternative.
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Visit the program and access the tool
Firstly, open your favorite web browser and visit the program’s website by entering the link on your browser's address bar. When you reach the home page, hit Create Your Mind Map, and you will enter the tool's main window.
Select a layout
Once you land the Layout window, you can choose a layout depending on your needs. Also, you can select from the Recommended Themes to design and style your diagram more attractively.
Add branches and change them to ERD elements
This time, add nodes by hitting the Tab key on your keyboard. After getting your preferred number of nodes, open the Style option and go to the Shape Style option. After that, you can modify them according to your desired ERD elements.
Insert the necessary information
Double-click on your target element and edit the text by typing the information you want to display. Do the same for all the elements until all have labels and necessary information.
Share the diagram
Once you are happy with your diagram, hit the Share button on the top right portion of the interface. Then, a dialog box will show up. From here, hit the Copy Link button and secure the link with a password and date validation.
Save and export the diagram
If you like to save it for later editing, tick the Save button. On the other hand, you may export your finished diagram and incorporate them into other documents by ticking the Export button at the top right corner. Then, select your preferred format, and you are through.
Part 2. How to Create an ER Diagram in Visio
Microsoft Visio is a well-known diagram-creating tool that offers the building blocks for making almost any diagram, including ER diagrams. It provides a desktop and web application, so you can choose which one is convenient for you. Moreover, you can create ER diagrams using Visio with the help of its shape libraries: Chen’s Notation and Crow’s Foot Notation. Aside from that, it also comes with an interface similar to Microsoft Products, like Word and PowerPoint. However, the program is not as easy to navigate as the mentioned products. On that note, here are guidelines to learn how to make an ER diagram in Visio.
To get started, download and install Microsoft Visio on your computer. Then, launch the ER diagram tool to see its working interface.
Now, search for ER diagram layout from the New tab by typing in the keyword Database on the search field. The results serve as the entity-relationship diagram Visio templates.
After that, you will arrive at the main editing panel. On the left sidebar, several stencils are available to create an ER diagram. Grab some entity and edit the text. Double-click on the element and key in the text you wish to display. Add more entities according to your database.
Next, let us define relationships. To do this, add a relationship element from the Stencils section. Drag the relationship element to the diagram and connect it to entities. You may reflect the relationship between the two by right-clicking on this element. Hover to Set Begin Symbol and select an option according to your needs. Same to the other end, hit on the Set End Symbol.
hat is how you make a Microsoft Visio ER diagram. You can go to File > Save As. Then, set a file location where you wish to save your ER diagram.
Further Reading
Part 3. FAQs About Creating an ER Diagram
What are the components of an ER diagram?
An ER diagram is only made up of 3 components, including attributes, entities, and relationships. They are represented by basic geometric shapes.
How many attributes does an ER diagram have?
An ER consists of five attributes. These are simple, composite, single-valued, multi-valued, and derived attributes.
What are primary and foreign keys in ERD?
A primary key refers to an attribute that makes a particular instance of an entity unique. Every entity has a primary key to identify instances of an entity uniquely. On the other hand, a foreign key completes a relationship in a data model as it identifies the parent entity. Every relationship also comes with a foreign key to support the model.
Conclusion
Microsoft Visio ER diagram can be created quickly when familiar with the process. Hence, we provided a tutorial for your reference. Meanwhile, Visio is a paid program. As far as we know, it costs a lot of money to get its full service. No worries because you can still create an ER diagram using MindOnMap. Yet, if you have a budget to spend for an ER diagram, then go with Visio.
