showing different database properties in the diagram

[Paul]

Hi people

I tried this query in the .m.p.visio group and got no response so I thought
I'd have another go in this more specialised one.

I have scanned the relevant groups and haven't seen an answer to my simple
problem. Can I change which of the database properties are shown on the
entity diagram? Specifically, can I configure it to display the 'notes
property?

I am trying to use Visio as an heuristic for building an Access database. I
therefore want to start with entity diagrams with little detail and
iteratively raise the detail and accuracy of the definitions. Some tables
are fully defined and have 30+ columns. Having to show all these does not
help my objective and does take up a lot of room. Conversely, not being able
to display the 'notes' column means that I cannot share this explanatory
information with collaborators.

I have read in various posts that Visio is pretty useless as a database
modelling tool. Can it not even display the relevant columns?

TIA

Paul
Coventry UK

 

[Matt M]

Paul wrote:
....

I have scanned the relevant groups and haven't seen an answer to my simple
problem. Can I change which of the database properties are shown on the
entity diagram? Specifically, can I configure it to display the 'notes
property?

You can change some of the display options for tables. Look under Database >
Options > Document > Table. You can choose whether to display primary keys,
foreign keys, non keys, etc. Unfortunately you cannot configure it to show
the Notes database property this way.

I am trying to use Visio as an heuristic for building an Access database.
I
therefore want to start with entity diagrams with little detail and
iteratively raise the detail and accuracy of the definitions. Some tables
are fully defined and have 30+ columns. Having to show all these does not
help my objective and does take up a lot of room. Conversely, not being
able
to display the 'notes' column means that I cannot share this explanatory
information with collaborators.

You can partly do this using the method above. This will let you start with,
e.g. key attributes, then add non-key attributes. The latter, however, are
either displayed or not. AFAICS, there is no option to display a particular
subset of non-key attributes if this is what you want to do.

One way of dealing with the Notes property is to put your notes in text
boxes or similar on a separate layer (View > Layer Properties > New). You
can then manipulate the layers display to get the effect you want.

HTH

Matt M.