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This page is for data modellers or application designers. It explains the properties for relations.

Overview

You can create views by including attributes from different streams and you do this using:

relationship diagrams: this tells PhixFlow which streams are linked via a key attribute -which is the unique identifier for the stream (UID).

relations: this is another way to link streams.

Sections on this page


Relationship Diagrams and Relational Views

Relationship diagrams underpin the ability to create views that combine data from different streams. 

When you create a GUI screen for an application,an area can contain information from a stream, displayed as a Stream View. This can be a grid (table), a graph or a chart. PhixFlow can show data from different streams, where the streams have a connection in a relationship diagram. 

Drawing Relationship Diagrams

Create a Relationship Diagram

  1. In the repository for your application, right-click on 
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    .
  2. Click  Add New.
  3. In the pop-up, enter its name.
  4. PhixFlow opens a properties tab on the right, and a new relationship diagram on the left. The relationship diagram has a toolbar at the top; see the Toolbar section below for details.

When you make any changes to the diagram, remember to  Apply.

Open a Relationship Diagram

To open an existing relationship diagram:

  • either, in the repository, right-click on its name and select Display.
  • or, in the properties toolbar, click the .
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     icon.

Create a New Stream

  1. Drag the 
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     icon from the toolbar into the diagram.
  2. In the pop-up, enter its name, for example "Customer" and click . PhixFlow opens a new Stream properties tab.
  3. PhixFlow adds a box to represent the data stream, and opens the properties tab for it.
  4. To add attributes to the stream
    • either, in the properties tab on the right, In the Attributes section, click  Add New.
    • or right-click the stream and select Add New Stream Attribute.
  5. PhixFlow opens a Stream Attributes properties tab where you can specify details for the attribute, such as its name, data type and length. 
  6. If this is the unique identifier, tick Primary Key. Remember to include ID or UID in the name.

Add an Existing Stream

  1. In the repository, open the list of streams.
  2. Drag a stream from the repository into the diagram. PhixFlow adds the stream with a list of all of its attributes.
  3. If the stream has many attributes, click  to collapse the stream so that it only shows the primary and foreign keys.

Connect Attributes

To connect attributes in different 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. If you connect standard attributes, PhixFlow automatically sets them to be foreign keys.

You can change which attributes are the Primary Key or a Foreign Key  using the tick boxes in the the Stream Attributes properties.

PhixFlow automatically sets the type of relationship according to the keys:

  • one to one: from primary key to primary key
  • one to many: from primary key to foreign key
  • many to one: from foreign key to primary key
  • many to many: from foreign key to foreign key.

Properties

For information about the properties toolbar, and about the sections Parent Details, Analysis Models, Description and Audit Summary, see Common Properties.  We recommend you always add a Description that explains the purpose of the item you are creating. 

For a full list of all the PhixFlow property tabs and windows, see Properties, Windows, Menus and Toolbars.

Basic Settings

FieldDescription
NameEnter the name for the entity-relationship diagram. When yo press Return or save a new properties tab, PhixFlow opens an empty diagram in the workspace on the left.


Toolbar 

 Zoom OutZoom out to see more of the diagram, with smaller text.
 Zoom InZoom in to see a smaller area of the diagram, with larger text.
 Align to Grid

Organise selected objects in a grid.

 Align Objects to Left

Align all selected objects left.

 Align Objects to Right

Align all selected objects right.

 Align Objects to Top

Align all selected objects to top.

 Align to base

Align all selected objects to bottom.

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Either drag into the diagram to add a stream
or click to open the list of streams in the repository and drag a stream in from the repository list.
 ApplySave the relationship diagram.
 RefreshRefresh the diagram, for example to show changes to an attributes Primary Key or Foreign Key properties.
 HelpOpens this help page for relationship diagrams.



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