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Toad Data Modeler 7.3 - User Guide

Introduction User Interface Models and Model Objects
Physical Data Model
Entity Relationship Diagram Objects Basic Database Design Advanced Database Design
Universal Data Model Logical Data Model Working with Model Objects
Features and Tools
Application Variables Export/Import DDL Script Generation Graphics Model Actions Print Create New Project Reports Reverse Engineering Scripting and Customization About Templates Tips and Tricks Toad for Oracle Integration Toad Intelligence Central (TIC) Integration Tools Version Control
Options and Configuration Databases
Amazon Redshift 1.0 IBM DB2 LUW 9.5 IBM DB2 LUW 9.7 IBM DB2 LUW 10.1 IBM DB2 LUW 10.5 IBM DB2 LUW 11.1 IBM DB2 z/OS 10 IBM DB2 z/OS 11 Greenplum 4.1 Greenplum 4.2 Ingres 9.3 Ingres 10.0 EDB Postgres Advanced Server 10 Microsoft Access 2007/2010 Microsoft Azure SQL Database V12 Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Microsoft SQL Server 2017 Microsoft SQL Server 2019 MySQL 5.0 MySQL 5.1 MySQL 5.5 MySQL 5.6 MySQL 5.7 MySQL 8.0 Oracle 10g Oracle 11g Release 1 Oracle 11g Release 2 Oracle 12c Release 1 Oracle 12c Release 2 Oracle 18c Oracle 19c PostgreSQL 9.0 PostgreSQL 9.1 PostgreSQL 9.2 PostgreSQL 9.3 PostgreSQL 9.4 PostgreSQL 9.5 PostgreSQL 10 PostgreSQL 11 PostgreSQL 12 SQLite 3.7 Sybase ASE 15.5 Sybase ASE 15.7 SAP ASE 16.0 Sybase IQ 15.2 Sybase SQL Anywhere 11 SAP SQL Anywhere 17 Teradata 13 Vertica Database 8.0
Copyright Legal Notices

Format Logical Objects

  1. Right-click the Workspace in your logical model and select Workspace Format.
  2. Click the Entity tab.

    Display Level - Select items you need to display in your logical model -  Entities, Primary Identifiers, Unique Identifiers, Attributes, Descriptions.
    See the Display Level box on the toolbar (also View menu | Display Level).

To define colors for attributes on your Workspace

Select Settings | Options | Model section | Logical Model | Entity tab | Attribute Colors area.

Entities

Toad Data Modeler allows you to design and maintain a logical model giving a complete picture of the business area. Logical model is independent of the database platform and is much simpler than physical model. It uses objects such as inheritance, valid values or M:N relationships. From the Logical ER (LER) diagram, you can build a Physical ER (PER) diagram of the selected database platform (LER to PER conversion).

Note:

  • This topic contains information on objects and functions that are specific for logical modeling. General information and other features applicable in Logical model as well as in Physical model are contained and described in other sections of this Help file. See e.g. the "Model Objects" chapter, "Model Explorer" topic etc.
  • See the sample logical model Employee that is included in the installation package for Toad Data Modeler. Default location is: C:\Program Files\Quest Software\Toad Data Modeler\Samples.

To create a logical model

Select File | New | Model |Logical Data Model tab.

Benefits of Logical Data Model

Logical Data Model allows you to model inheritances in entity relationship diagrams. Universal Data Model and Physical Data Model do not support this feature.

Specifics of Logical Data Model

  • There are three methods how inheritance can be resolved when converting to physical model.
  • Attributes do not migrate to child entities.
  • It is not possible to define database specific items in Logical Model, for example sequences/autoincrements etc.
  • You can define Valid Values in logical model (will be converted to physical model).

Benefits of Super and Sub Types

In Logical Model you can define database structure in various ways. See the pictures below. Both of them show a structure modeled in Logical Model and both the models will result in the identical output when converted to Physical Model. The difference is that Model A uses Super and Sub Types while Model B doesn't use inheritance at all.

Model A - Utilizing Super and Sub Types

Model B - Lacking Super and Sub Types

This example shows:

  1. That you can create logical models in different ways and achieve the same result after conversion to physical model.
  2. That you can be more productive when using inheritance. For example, you only need to change the Last Name attribute once in the first model. Without using inheritance in model B, you have to change it four times.
  3. How much “readable” the first model is compared to the second one.
  4. How important is to select appropriate inheritance resolution when converting your logical model to physical.
  5. That creating logical models without inheritance has minimal benefits compared to using inheritance.

Disadvantage

The main disadvantage of logical modeling is that direct synchronization with existing database is not possible. Only physical models of specific database platforms and versions may be synchronized with an existing database. Therefore, if you want to synchronize your logical model, you need to convert it to the physical model first.

Edit Entities

  • Double-click the entity on the Workspace.

or

  • Edit the entity in Model Explorer | Entities folder | double-click the selected entity (or right-click | Edit).
Option Description

Object Navigator Dropdown Menu

All entities of your logical model are listed here. It allows you to edit entities quickly and comfortably from one place.

Tip: After you finish editing an entity, click Apply to confirm changes and select another entity from the Object Navigator box.

General Tab

Description

Caption

Logical name of entity

Name

Physical name of entity

Category

Category selection box. To see/add/edit categories of your model, click the small button on the right.

Size

Definition of supposed table size. Toad Data Modeler also converts defined values to physical model.

Nature

Definition of table nature (Logical information). Select existing value from the box or write a new value.

Logical Only

Select this checkbox not to convert the entity to physical model during LER to PER conversion.

Attributes Tab

On this tab, you can add, edit and delete attributes of the entity.

Unique Identifiers Tab

On this tab, you can manage unique identifiers.  A unique identifier for each entity is created by default.

Note: Working with attributes and unique identifiers in logical model is similar to working with attributes and primary keys in physical model. More details about the operations can be found in appropriate sections of the "Physical Data Model" chapter.

Description Tab You can enter the object description and technical description here.

To Do Tab

You can enter To Do tasks related to the object here.

Note: To display all To Do tasks, select To Do from Model menu.

Entity Right-Click Options

Option Description

Format...

Opens the Object Format dialog for selected entity.

Add into Workspace...

Opens the Workspaces dialog where you can select a WS to add the entity to.

Add into New Workspace

Creates a new Workspace in the Application Window and adds the entity to it.

Remove from Workspace

Removes the selected shortcut from particular Workspace.

Delete Object

Deletes the selected entity from model.

Arrange

Arranges the entity in another layer.

Arrange Objects in Layers

Add Object to Gallery Adds object to new or selected Gallery.

Recalculate Size

Adjusts the entity size to the length of its attributes.

Align Self Relationship

Aligns self relationship.

Edit

Opens the Entity Properties form.

Add Adds new object (Attribute, Unique Identifier Attribute or empty Unique Identifier)
Edit Attribute... Opens the Attribute Properties form. This option is active only if attribute is selected in the diagram.
Add to Category Adds object to selected Category.
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