Modeling Features › Basic Features

Basic Features

There are many powerful features that you can use to design entity relation data models and dimensional models. You can create and maintain databases on many different target servers. But perhaps the most powerful feature of this product is its simplicity and ease of use.

Many of the standard Windows features and conventions are used in this product. Just as you can create, modify, save, and print documents in other Windows applications, you can perform these same tasks in this product using familiar Windows dialogs.

To understand the full scope of the available features and capabilities, you can open the Emovies.erwin sample model file, which is automatically installed. This model includes all the typical objects and properties that you may want to include in your own models. The following describes the basic features in this product:

• Templates

  Save time when you start working from a template that you or others in your workgroup have created. When you create a model from a template, all the objects and display settings in the template are automatically applied to the new model.

• Subject areas and stored displays

  For each new model, a subject area (Main Subject Area) and stored display (Display 1) are automatically created for you to begin your work. You can create additional subject areas and stored displays that are specific to your modeling needs.

• Model types

  You can create a logical, physical, dimensional, logical/physical, or logical/dimensional model.

• ERwin Toolbox

  When you are ready to add objects to your model, click a tool in the ERwin toolbox and then click the diagram window where you want to position it.

• On-diagram editing

  There is a powerful on-diagram editing feature that lets you quickly name objects without opening a dialog.

• Model preferences

  Customize your working environment using the many available display options and model preferences. You can create your model using IDEF1X or IE notation.

• Target server support

  In the physical model, the available options are customized based on the characteristics of the selected target database such as datatypes, null options, physical storage parameters, and triggers. Once this model is defined, it is generated to your target database directly, in the exact syntax required by your DBMS.

• Forward and reverse engineering

  You can also create a model by reverse engineering an existing database.