How to Define an ERD

Open an Existing ERD

In the repository, find ERD.

• Either right-click on an ERD name and select Display.
• Or double-click the ERD name to open the properties. In the properties toolbar, click the

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  _erd_display _erd_display nopanel true

   icon.

Create a New ERD

1. In the repository,  find ERD. Right-click to display the context menu, and select 

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   _add _add nopanel true

2. Enter a name for your ERD, and a description then click 

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   _finish _finish nopanel true

   .

   Tip
   When you are creating tables, choose a name that reflects the entity your table represents.

   
   

3. PhixFlow opens a new ERD canvas on the left with a toolbar at the top. Hover your mouse pointer over toolbar icons to display a tooltip.

Add an Existing Table

1. In the toolbar, click 

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   _table_list _table_list nopanel true

   .
2. PhixFlow filters the repository to show the list of tables available in this application.
3. Drag a table from the repository onto the ERD canvas. 

Create a New Table

1. Drag 

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   _table_new _table_new nopanel true

     from the toolbar into the diagram.
2. In the pop-up, enter a name, for example "Customer", and click

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   .
3. PhixFlow opens the properties tab for the new table on the right and adds the table to the canvas.
   The header displays the name entered in step 2. PhixFlow automatically adds 2 attributes:

1. • UID - PhixFlow requires a unique identifier and primary key for each table.
   • Name -  PhixFlow sets the Name attribute to be the display name. In data grids and forms etc. PhixFlow uses this attribute to provide a user-friendly name, rather than a numeric identifier. Optionally, change the attribute name.
2. To add attributes to the table:
   1. In the table, click 

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      _new _new nopanel true

      . PhixFlow opens the attribute properties on the right, with the default settings of:
      • Type = String
      • Length = 50 characters.
   2. In the properties, enter the Name and select appropriate type properties, such as Date or Integer; see Attributes. The following data types have additional properties:
      • For String add Length
      • For Integer add Precision
      • For Decimal add Significant Figures and Decimal Places
   3. Click 

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       to save the attribute properties.
3. PhixFlow adds the attribute to the table in the ERD.

Create Relationships

In an ERD you can create a one-to-many relationship between a primary key in one table with an attribute in another table. For relationship concepts, see Understanding ERDs.

To create a relationship, click-drag from one attribute to another.

See the table below for the relationships that can be created between attributes.

PhixFlow cannot create a relationship between your selected attributes if your selected foreign key attribute: 

• is already a foreign key to a different primary key.
• has a different Data Type and type properties to the primary key.

In these cases, PhixFlow reports an error: Related attributes must have the same type and length. This type/length is different.

If this happens, you can:

• create a new attribute to be the foreign key
• change the foreign key attributes to match the primary key, provided there is no data in the table
• create the relationship with a different attribute.

To change the data type properties, In the ERD, click on an attribute to open its properties.

Saving ERDs

Show Relationships From Other ERDs 

Anchor
erd-view erd-view

If a table appears on more than one ERD it may have relationships with tables that are not visible in your current ERD. To see other related tables, right-click a table to show the context menu and select:

• Image AddedShow many to one relations ?? should be  

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  _rel_

• in _rel_

Properties

Basic Settings

The name for the ERD.

ERD Toolbar

The toolbar is at the top of the canvas. Hover your mouse pointer over the toolbar to see a tooltip.

Create options

List options

 Canvas options

Options to arrange the selected tables in the ERD:

• in nopanel true

• Image AddedShow one to many relations ?? should be  

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  _rel_out _rel_out nopanel true

PhixFlow adds the related tables to your ERD. 

To keep the related tables in your ERD, in the toolbar, click 

To remove the related tables from your ERD, in the toolbar, click 

Saving ERDs

Changes to tables, attributes and relationships are automatically saved. However, to keep any changes you make to the layout, such as moving tables or adding angle points to relationships, remember to click 

Accessing Properties

You can set properties for all the items in an ERD. To access properties:

• for the ERD: in the canvas toolbar click

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• for a table: in the ERD, click on the table header or right-click to open the pop-up menu and select 

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• for an attribute: in the table, click on an attribute
• for a relationship: in the ERD, click on the relationship line. For relationships you can only add or change the description.

PhixFlow opens the properties panel on the right.

Properties

Basic Settings

Toolbars and Popup Menus

ERD Toolbar

The toolbar is at the top of the canvas. Hover your mouse pointer over the toolbar to see a tooltip.

tmp

Table Pop-up Menu

You can access more options in a pop-up menu:

Table Pop-up Menu

To access more options in a pop-up menu, in the table header, click 

Option	Description
Insert excerpt _config _config nopanel true ?? Can this be  Insert excerpt _property_settings _property_settings nopanel true	Open the properties for this table.
Insert excerpt _remove _remove nopanel true	Remove the selected item(s) from the diagram.
Image AddedShow many to one relations ?? should be  Insert excerpt _rel_out _rel_out nopanel true	Tables may have relationships to other tables not represented on the current ERD. Use these options to add all related tables to your ERD so that you can see the full relationship set; see Show Relationships From Other ERDs , above.
Image AddedShow one to many relations ?? should be  Insert excerpt _rel_in _rel_in nopanel true
Insert excerpt _attributes_show_hide _attributes_show_hide nopanel true	Toggle the table between expanded to show all attributes or collapsed to show only the table name, primary key and any foreign keys. Other attributes are hidden.
Show Attributes	Expand the table to show all the attributes
Parmanently Delete This is useful if your table contains many attributes.
Insert excerpt _delete _delete nopanel true	Delete the selected item(s) from the ERD and from everywhere it is used.

Attribute Pop-up Menu

For Create a Table From an Excel File  Document Flow 4.10

For Create Relationships table

For Show Relationships From Other ERDs (before Saving ERDs)

If a table appears on more than one ERD it may have relationships with tables that are not visible in your current ERD. To see other related tables, right-click a table to show the context menu and select:

1. and click on an ERD in the list.
2. In the repository, open your application and find Data → ERD.
   • Either right-click on an ERD name and select Display.
   • Or...

For Create a New ERD

1. From the home menu, select Data.
2. PhixFlow displays the list of ERDs. Select Create New from the left hand side.

3. In the pop-up, enter a name for your ERD, and a description then click 

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   _dialog_finish _dialog_finish nopanel true

   .

   Tip
   When you are creating tables, choose a name that reflects the entity your table represents.

   
   

4. PhixFlow opens a new ERD canvas on the left with a toolbar at the top. Hover your mouse pointer over toolbar icons to display a tooltip.

For Create a Table From an Excel File  Document Flow 4.10

For Create Relationships table