Visual Database Design Tool, Like Visio
Jun 5, 2006 Databases SQL, MySQL, Software
I found a great visual database design tool, DBDesigner 4, to help with creating databases. DBDesigner is an Open Source project and is published under GNU GPL, So that is great!
I’ve been using the software for a couple of weeks now and have found it very useful. It has actually helped me learn a bit more about indexes for your database tables. You create tables by using the table tool in the work space and entering your fields. Once you have multiple tables you can use one of the relation tools (1:n or n:n) and create connecting lines that represent the table’s relationships. Very Cool! When creating these relations, the program even adds the appropriate id field and index for the relation.
Last but not least, once you have created your database you can generate the SQL create scripts to actually make the database. Very nice! Something else I found cool is it stores your projects in an XML file. So backing-up and moving things around manually will not cause havoc.
It even has a Reverse Engineering feature which I have yet to use, but I imagine it will connect to your database, analyze the structure and re-create it in software.
I have found the interface to be a bit buggy. When creating/editing tables, sometimes the focus does not goto the field you click. Seems to get stuck, until freeing yourself by just clicking random fields and pressing enter. Doesn’t sound appealing, but easy to over-look once you start using the program. Hopefully it will be fixed in later releases.
June 8th, 2006 at 7:29 am
nice find bro! I’m gonna check it out - that should help the newb in me!!! hehe
Have you checked out Ubuntu lately? Bout to build a new box for it… pretty slick.
June 9th, 2006 at 8:08 am
interesting indeed
June 17th, 2006 at 6:54 pm
Hey, came across your site while searching for some good database design resources. Just to let you know that FabForce DB Designer is going to make a reappearance as MySQL WorkBench pretty soon. I don’t know the politics of the whole situation but either MySQL bought FabForce over or one of their developers went to work for MySQL. The beta is already out at MySQL.org but it doesn’t yet work as well as DB Designer; I’d wait before the upgrade - but it’s worth keeping tabs on it.
August 22nd, 2006 at 1:04 pm
Sweet tool much better than google GOO!