Explicit steps to synchronize drawing and database table

[fried duck]

Can someone point me to explicit steps to take a drawing (a
flowchart--not a data model diagram) and synchronize it with a table
in a database?

I'd like to define and apply a custom property set, and then permit
someone to maintain the information through the database.
Periodically I'd like to synch the info contained in the DB with my
drawing.

I can export to a DB (no problem.) The issue as I see it is that any
time I attempt to correlate the two Visio asks me which Custom
Property will contain the identifier that I'll correlate with the PK
in the table.

Do I have to define such a property and then select and key in a value
for each shape?

Finally. I don't care whether or not I start with a drawing or a DB.
I just don't want to have to key info in *both* places every time I
have a change.

We have on-site Visio 2002, 2002 for Enterprise Architechts, and Visio
2003, so instructions for any of those with work.

Thanks very much for any help.

Jeff

 

[RA]

Try using the "Link to Database" function located at Tools\Macros\Visio
Extras\Link to Database.

 

[fried duck]

Try using the "Link to Database" function located at Tools\Macros\Visio
Extras\Link to Database.

RA,

Thanks for the tip, but that option doesn't work. Again--it will
identify a field in the *database* that is the key value for an
object--but there's no corresponding key value in *visio*

So essentially, I can:
1.) Export to a database, let Visio define the table and populate it.
2.) Have a complete representation of a diagram in the database. The
object ID for the object is identified in a ShapeID in the database
table.

What I can not find a way to do, at that point, is find anything in
Visio to synchronize the ShapeID field in the table to the object ID
that Visio defines. All attempts to synchronize, use the link wizard,
etc. ask me to define a Custom Property and then enter the values for
every single object.

Again I think I must be missing something obvious, or approaching it
from the wrong perspective. Any/all help is appreciated.

Jeff