This page is for data modellers or application designers. It explains how to draw an ERD and its properties.

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Drawing ERDs

Create an ERD

In the repository for your application, right-click on Insert excerpt_erd_erdnopaneltrue.Click Insert excerpt_add_addnopaneltrue.PhixFlow opens the properties tab on the right. Enter the name for your ERD and either press Return or click Insert excerpt_finish_finishnopaneltrue.

PhixFlow opens a new ERD canvas on the left. The ERD has a toolbar at the top; see the Toolbar section below for details.

TipWhen you make any changes to the ERD, remember to Insert excerpt_save_savenopaneltrue.

Open an ERD

To open an existing ERD

either, in the repository, right-click on its name and select Display.

or, in the properties toolbar, click the . Insert excerpt_erd_erdnopaneltrue icon.

Create a New Table

Drag the Insert excerpt_streams_add_streams_addnopaneltrue icon

Insert excerpt

	_Banners
	_Banners
name	ERD
nopanel	true

Overview

For an introduction to ERD concepts and why ERDs are important, see Understanding ERDs.

The process for defining data structures in an ERD depends on whether or not you have already created tables in PhixFlow. The following table summarises the different ways you can add data to an ERD, depending on your starting point:

Creating and Importing Data

Starting Point

Process

Primary Key

See

I have CSV or Excel data

Drag the file onto the ERD canvas. PhixFlow automatically imports the data for you.

In each table:

either set one attribute as the primary key and ensure all values will be unique
or add an attribute called UID with
- Data Type = Integer
- Precision = 10
and set one attribute to be the Display Name.

Creating Tables in an ERD, below.

I have no data

Define the tables, attributes and their relationships in the ERD.

Later you will need to add records to the table:

either manually, for example create a screen in which application users can enter data.
or via an analysis model.

PhixFlow automatically creates each table with:

a primary key called UID
a Name attribute, as the Display Name.

Creating Tables in an ERD, below.
Creating a Screen from an ERD Table
Importing Data

I have data but it's not in PhixFlow

Use an analysis model to connect to your data. PhixFlow can read the data structures to create tables.

In each table:

either set one attribute as the primary key and ensure all values will be unique
or add an attribute called UID with
- Data Type = Integer
- Precision = 10
- Tick Primary Key
and set one attribute to be the Display Name.

I have tables in PhixFlow already

In the ERD toolbar, click

Insert excerpt

	_tables
	_tables
nopanel	true

to display a list of all the tables. Drag tables into the ERD and then add the relationships.

Note

Insert excerpt

	_uid
	_uid
nopanel	true

Creating Tables in an ERD

Create a New Table using Excel or CSV Data
Anchor
Excel
Excel

Drag a CSV or Excel file directly onto an ERD canvas.
PhixFlow creates a table automatically based on the information in the file.

This topic is also covered in the ERD Fundamentals video course; see Entity Relationship Diagrams.

Create a New Table
Anchor
NewTable
NewTable

Drag
Insert excerpt
_table_new
_table_new
nopanel true
from the toolbar into the diagram.
In the

pop-up

popup, enter

its name, for example "Customer" and click Insert excerpt_dialog_finish_dialog_finishnopaneltrue. PhixFlow opens a new Stream properties tab.PhixFlow adds a box to represent the table, and opens the properties tab for it

a name that reflects what the table will represent. For example Customer.
PhixFlow opens the properties for the new table and adds the table to the canvas.
The table header displays its name. PhixFlow automatically adds two attributes:

- UID, a primary key that is a unique identifier for each record.
- Name, a display name that is shown instead of the numeric UID in a view or form.
To add attributes to the table:

either, in the properties tab

1. In the table, click
  Insert excerpt
  _new
  _new
  nopanel true
  . PhixFlow opens the attribute properties on the right,

In the Attributes section, click

1. 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 Attribute. 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
  Insert excerpt
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add

1. finish
  _

add

1. finish
  nopanel true

.

or right-click the table and select Add New Stream Attribute.

PhixFlow opens a Stream Attributes properties tab where you can specify details for the attribute, such as its name, data type and length.

If this is the unique identifier, tick Primary Key. Remember to include ID or UID in the name

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

Add an Existing

Stream

Table

In the

repository, open

toolbar, click
Insert excerpt
_table_list
_table_list
nopanel true
.
PhixFlow filters the repository to show the list of tables

/streams

available in this application.
Drag a table

/stream

from the repository

into

onto the

diagram. PhixFlow adds the stream with a list of all of its attributes.

If the stream has many attributes, click

Image Removed to collapse the stream so that it only shows the primary and foreign keys.

Connect Attributes

To connect attributes in different tables/streams, click-drag from one attribute to another. PhixFlow shows the currently selected destination in bold. Release the click to connect to the selected destination.

PhixFlow can only connect primary and foreign keys. This creates a one to many relationship. If you connect standard attributes, PhixFlow automatically sets them to be foreign keys.

Tip
PhixFlow automatically ticks the Primary Key or a Foreign Key boxes in the the Stream Attributes properties.

Properties

Insert excerpt_standard_settings_standard_settingsnopaneltrue

Basic Settings

FieldDescriptionNameEnter the name for the ERD. When you press Return or Save a new properties tab, PhixFlow opens an empty diagram in the workspace on the left

ERD canvas.

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 name to another.
One of the attributes must be a primary key.
PhixFlow highlights the attribute when your mouse pointer is over it.
When the destination attribute is highlighted, release the click.

Relationships

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

Drag from		Relationship
Table 1	Table 2	Relationship
primary key	attribute	1:Many Table1.primarykey → Table2.attribute
attribute	primary key	1:Many Table2.primarykey → Table1.attribute
attribute	attribute	If Table1 has no primary key, PhixFlow makes the Table1.attribute the primary key. If Table1 has a primary key, the relationship is from Table1.primarykey instead of from the attribute being dragged.

Relationship Restrictions

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.

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.

Show Relationships From Other ERDs
Anchor
erd-view
erd-view

Tip
If you have created several ERDs to define the data structure that your application requires, then each ERD is a view onto a part of the full data structure.

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 popup menu and select:

Insert excerpt
_rel_in
_rel_in
nopanel true
Insert excerpt
_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

Insert excerpt

	_save
	_save
nopanel	true

.

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

Insert excerpt

	_refresh
	_refresh
nopanel	true

.

Saving ERDs

Any changes you make on the ERD canvas are automatically saved.

Accessing Properties

To access properties for:

the ERD: in the canvas toolbar click
Insert excerpt
_property_settings
_property_settings
nopanel true
tables: in the ERD, click on the table header or right-click to open the popup menu and select
Insert excerpt
_config
_config
nopanel true
attributes: in the table, click on an attribute.

PhixFlow opens the properties pane on the right.

Versions Compared

Old Version 9

New Version Current

Key

Drawing ERDs

Create an ERD

Open an ERD

Create a New Table

Overview

Creating and Importing Data

Creating Tables in an ERD

Create a New Table using Excel or CSV Data
Anchor
Excel
Excel

Create a New Table
Anchor
NewTable
NewTable

Add an Existing

Table

Connect Attributes

Properties

Basic Settings

Create Relationships

Relationships

Relationship Restrictions

Show Relationships From Other ERDs
Anchor
erd-view
erd-view

Saving ERDs

Accessing Properties

Page Comparison

Versions Compared

Old Version 9

New Version Current

Key

Drawing ERDs

Create an ERD

Open an ERD

Create a New Table

Overview

Creating and Importing Data

Creating Tables in an ERD

Create a New Table using Excel or CSV Data AnchorExcelExcel

Create a New Table AnchorNewTableNewTable

Add an Existing

Table

Connect Attributes

Properties

Basic Settings

Create Relationships

Relationships

Relationship Restrictions

Show Relationships From Other ERDs Anchorerd-viewerd-view

Saving ERDs

Accessing Properties

Create a New Table using Excel or CSV Data
Anchor
Excel
Excel

Create a New Table
Anchor
NewTable
NewTable

Show Relationships From Other ERDs
Anchor
erd-view
erd-view