Entity-Relationship diagrams are useful for modelling data and the relationships between the data.

They can be used when the constraints between data are relatively simple. They do not allow specification of interactions between the data or model how the data changes (there are no processes in Entity-Relationship). Entity-Relationship diagrams are most often used to model databases. Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_Entity_Relationshi p_Diagrams#ixzz1ZiUySshA

This data modeling tool is an ideal choice for companies and developers who want to work with their own databases comfortably. Key features include: Entity relationship diagrams Support for various databases

Generation of SQL (DDL) scripts Reverse engineering Generation of detailed HTML and RTF documentation Export into XML format etc...

Entity relationship diagrams - ER diagrams

Using the graphically very well arranged Entity Relationship Diagrams (ER Diagrams) you can easily create and maintain your database structures. In your models you will have all the entities, attributes, domains, primary keys, foreign keys, constraints, relationships, also notes and other physical and logical data, laid-out in a transparent order. While creating models you will have a perfect view of all database elements. You can simply set the values of all attributes, types of relationships and other criteria, as for example indexes, etc.

How can it help me?

The most significant benefits are related to the following areas: Professional and faster development Productivity improvements

Fewer faults in development

Very efficient maintenance Work with already existing database structures Testing of the consistency and validity of your models Generation of detailed HTML and RTF documentation

Supported databases

Access 2000 Access 97 Clipper 5 DBIsam 3.23 DB2 UDB ver. 8.1 DB2 UDB ver. 7 Informix 9 Informix Ingres InterBase 7 InterBase 6 SQL 3 InterBase 6 SQL 1 InterBase 5 InterBase 4 MS SQL 2000 MS SQL 7 MS SQL 6.5 MySQL 4.0 MySQL 3.23 Oracle 9i Oracle 8

Paradox Pervasive V8 PostgreSQL 7.3 PostgreSQL 7 Sybase Anywhere Sybase ASE 12.5

Triggers, Procedures, Views....

CASE Studio 2 supports also Functions, Procedures, Triggers, Views, Packages, Package bodies, Object types, Object type bodies, Sequences and Synonyms as Text Objects (depends on target database). You can create also patterns for triggers, views and procedures. Of course, Text Objects could be reverse engineered from already existing database structures.

entity-relationship diagram

(n.) Also called an entity-relationship model, a graphical representation of entities and their relationships to each other, typically used in computing in regard to the organization of data within databases or information systems. An entity is a piece of data-an object or concept about which data is stored. A relationship is how the data is shared between entities. There are three types of relationships between entities:

one-to-one: one instance of an entity (A) is associated with one other instance of another entity (B). For example, in a database of employees, each employee name (A) is associated with only one social security number (B). one-to-many: one instance of an entity (A) is associated with zero, one or many instances of another entity (B), but for one instance of entity B there is only one instance of entity A. For example, for a company with all employees working in one building, the building name (A) is associated with many different employees (B), but those employees all share the same singular association with entity A. many-to-many: one instance of an entity (A) is associated with one, zero or many instances of another entity (B), and one instance of entity B is associated with one, zero or many instances of entity A. For example, for a company in which all of its employees work on multiple projects, each instance of an employee (A) is associated with many instances of a project (B), and at the same time, each instance of a project (B) has multiple employees (A) associated with it.

An entity is something that has a distinct, separate existence, although it need not be a material existence. In particular, abstractions and legal fictions are usually regarded as entities. In general, there is also no presumption that an entity is animate. An entity could be viewed as a set containing subsets. In philosophy, such sets are said to be abstract objects. Sometimes, the word entity is used in a general sense of a being, whether or not the referent has material existence; e.g., is often referred to as an entity with no corporeal form, such as a language. It is also often used to refer to ghosts and other spirits. Taken further, entity sometimes refers to existence or being itself. For example, the former U.S. diplomat George F. Kennan once said that "the policy of the government of the United States is to seek ... to preserve Chinese territorial and administrative entity."[citation needed] "Entities" are used in system developmental models that display communications and internal processing of, say, documents compared to order processing. The word entitative is the adjective form of the noun entity. Something that is entitative is "considered as pure entity; abstracted from all circumstances", that is, regarded as entity alone, apart from attendant circumstances.

Entity Relationship (ER) diagrams are drawn when designing a database system, After the systems specification, an ER diagram is drawn showing the conceptual design of the database, this diagram shows the type of information that is to be stored in the system and how these information associate with each other (e.g. one-to-one, one-to-many, etc). ER Diagrams are simple and easy to understand, thus, this diagram can be shown and explained to user representatives for confirmation and approval. : Balendran Kandasamy Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_entity_relationship_diagrams_used#ixzz1ZiYB4SPp