newbie needs definitions

[ASPinATL]

I have never taken a course in Databases and my knowledge of SQL (SQL
Server) extends just far enough for me to be able to write effective
queries for my job as an ASP developer. This means I know how to browse
databases and do all kinds of interesting joins for data retrieval, but
I'm never on the design side of it. Lately, I've been using visio to
reverse engineer the databases at work into models, so that I can more
quickly and easily determine what each table provides me and which
tables I need to execute my queries. But I am confused by the semantics
of these diagrams and feel like I could get stuff done more quickly if
I understood them better. Here are some specific questions I have:

-What do the arrows signify?
-What do the acronyms "I[1..*]", and "U[1..*]" stand for?
-Are there other acronyms I don't know?
-If you've got one or more FKs on a table, how do you know what table
and column each is referencing?
-What does a bold column name signify?

If someone could give me a quick breakdown of the semantics of these
diagrams, I would greatly appreciate it. Any other summary information
that I might need would be helpful too. Thanks!

 

[David Parker [Visio MVP]]

Open Database / Options / Document
Then try the Help on each tab - it's a start...

 

[Lee]

See responses in line...

To me, the arrows are confusing, because they seem backwards. Try:
Database | Options | Document... | Relationship tab | Crow's feet.

-What do the acronyms "I[1..*]", and "U[1..*]" stand for?

The acronymns refer to cardinality, indices, and unique constraints.

Double-click the relationship line, and choose 'Definition' from the
categories in the Database properties window.

It signifies that the column/field is required (not allowed to be null)

, Lee