ERD Symbols and Meanings

Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) is a popular software engineering tool for database modeling and illustration the logical structure of databases, which uses one of two notations - Chen's or Crow’s Foot. Crow's foot notation is effective when used in software engineering, information engineering, structured systems analysis and design. Each of these notations applies its own set of ERD symbols. Crow's foot diagrams use boxes to represent entities and lines between these boxes to show relationships. Varied shapes at the ends of lines depict the cardinality of a given relationship. Chen's ERD notation is more detailed way to represent entities and relationships. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM application enhanced with all-inclusive Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution allows design professional ER diagrams with Chen's or Crow’s Foot notation on your choice. It contains the full set of ready-to-use standardized ERD symbols and meanings helpful for quickly drawing, collection of predesigned ERD samples, examples and templates. ConceptDraw Pro is a great alternative to Visio for Mac users as it offers more features and can easily handle the most demanding professional needs.

Martin ERD Diagram

The vector stencils library Crow's Foot Notation from the solution Entity-Relationship Diagrams (ERD) contains specific symbols of the Crow's foot notation such as relationship symbols and entity symbols for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software. The Entity-Relationship Diagrams (ERD) solution is contained in the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.

Entity Relationship Diagram Symbols

The semantic modeling method nowadays is successfully applied in database structure design. It is effective method of modeling the data structures, which is based on the meaning of these data. As a tool of semantic modeling, there are used different types of Entity-Relationship Diagrams. Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) is applied to visually and clearly represent a structure of a business database. The main components of ERDs are: entity, relation and attributes. An entity is a class of similar objects in the model, each entity is depicted in the form of rectangle and has the name expressed by a noun. Relation is shown in the form of non-directional line that connects two entities. There are several notation styles used for ERDs: information engineering style, Chen style, Bachman style, Martin Style. The Entity Relationship Diagram symbols used for professional ERD drawing are predesigned by professionals and collected in the libraries of the Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software.

Software and Database Design with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM

Unified Modeling Language (abbr. UML) is a modeling language used by software developers and software engineers for developing diagrams, expressive modeling, visualization, construction, specification, and documentation an information about software-intensive systems. There are used many types of UML diagrams, joined in main groups, each of them has its own functional abilities and applications: Behaviour diagrams illustrate the functionality of software systems, Structuring diagrams depict a structure of objects at the systems, Interaction diagrams show the flow of control and data among the things in a modeling system. UML has a lot of practical applications in varied areas, among them software development, hardware design, banking and financial services, telecommunication, science, research, enterprise information system, distributed Web-based services, user interfaces for web applications, medical electronics, patient healthcare systems, etc. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM extended with Rapid UML solution is a perfect tool for UML diagramming.

Components of ER Diagram

Entity-Relationship model gives the possibility to visually describe a database using the components of ER Diagram, entity relationship stencils, relationship symbols, work flow shapes. ER-diagram lets represent the data or entities, attributes of these entities and relationships between them, using standardized Crow’s Foot notation icons or Chen’s notation icons. An entity is an object of the real world, it can exist independently and has the instances which differ in attribute values (properties). The attributes give an unambiguous (uniquely) identification for the instance and are called the primary key, this key can be composite and combine several attributes. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM is a professional software available with Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution from Software Development area that lets create ERDs for various database systems, using Crow’s Foot and Chen’s notations. It is invaluable tool for software engineers and developers, it supports ODBC-compatible databases (Oracle, MySQL, MS Access, MS SQL, InterBase, Firebird and others).

E-R Diagrams

Complexity of databases increases day by day, due to this the Entity relationship models and E-R diagrams become more and more popular, and now are an important part of database design. E-R diagrams created at ConceptDraw DIAGRAM allow visually and graphically represent structure and design of databases.

Data Flow Diagram

Data Flow Diagram (DFD) is the part of the Structured Systems Analysis and Design Methodology (SSADM), which is intended for information systems projection and analysis. Data Flow Diagrams allow graphically represent the data flows in information system and analyze the data processing during the structural projection. This type of diagrams lets visually show a work of information system and results of this work, it is often used in connection with human processes and can be displayed as Workflow diagram. Data Flow Diagram visualizes processes and functions, external entities, data depositories, and data flows connecting these elements and indicating direction and data character. Each of these elements used for DFD has its own graphical notation. There are two notations to draw DFDs - Yourdon & Coad and Gane & Sarson. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM extended with Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) solution from Software Developmant area is ideal for designing professional looking DFDs, which can be then easily exported in various formats.

ER Diagram Programs for Mac

ConceptDraw DIAGRAM compatible Mac OS X software extended with powerful Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) Solution from the Software Development Area for ConceptDraw Solution Park is one of the famous ER Diagram Programs for Mac. It gives the perfect ability to draw ER diagrams for visually describing databases with Chen's and Crow's Foot notation icons.

Data Modeling Diagram

The vector stencils library Activity diagrams from the solution Rapid UML contains specific data modeling symbols for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software. The Rapid UML solution is contained in the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.

DFD Library System

The Data Flow Diagram (DFD) is a graphical technique used for effective modeling and analyzing the information processes and systems. Having at the disposal the DFD library system and newest powerful tools of ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software supplied with Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) solution from the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park, you can design fast and easy the Data flow diagrams, Data flowcharts, Data flow models, Data flow process diagrams, Process-oriented models, Data-oriented models, Data process diagrams, Structured analysis diagrams, Information flow diagrams of any type and complexity. For designing the Data Flow Diagrams in ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software are used the simple DFD flowchart symbols from the offered DFD libraries - Data Flow Diagram (DFD) library, Yourdon and Coad Notation library, and Gane-Sarson Notation library. The DFD objects are need to be connected each other by the arrows to depict the data flow from one step to another, that you can do in seconds in ConceptDraw DIAGRAM , as well as set desired design of your diagram.

Block Diagram

The vector stencils libraries: Block Diagrams, Blocks with Perspective, Callouts, Connectors, Raised Blocks from the solution Block Diagrams contain specific block diagram symbols such as arrows, input/output symbols, start/end symbols, processing symbols, conditional symbols, commenting symbols, callouts, connectors, etc. for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software. The Block Diagrams solution is contained in a "Diagrams" area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. Use the libraries from the Block Diagrams solution to draw block diagrams for your business documents, presentations and websites in a few minutes.

Database Design

ConceptDraw DIAGRAM extended with IDEF Business Process Diagrams solution from the Business Processes area of ConceptDraw Solution Park is an ideal software for effective database design and drawing IDEF diagrams visually representing all steps of database design process.

Software Diagrams

Modern software development begins with designing different software diagrams and also uses a large amount of diagrams in project management and creation graphic documentation. Very popular diagrams that depict a work of applications in various cuts and notations, describe databases and prototype Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs). Software engineering specialists and software designers prefer to use special technical and business graphics tools and applications for easy creation diagrams. One of the most popular is ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM offers the possibility of drawing with use of wide range of pre-drawn shapes and smart connectors, which allow to focus not on the process of drawing, but on the task's essence. It is a perfect application for design and document development, planning tasks, visualization of data, design the databases, object-oriented design, creation flowcharts of algorithms, modeling business processes, project management, automation of management and development processes, and for many other tasks.

Gant Chart in Project Management

Gantt Chart is a graphical representation of tasks as segments on a time scale. It helps plan and monitor project development or resource allocation. There are list of tasks, project milesones and stages. The horizontal axis is a time scale, expressed either in absolute or relative time. Gantt chart can be used for planning in virtually any industry. There are major project planning tools using gantt chart for creating project plan. For instance, using ConceptDraw PROJECT together with ConceptDraw MINDMAP for planning marketing actions is very effective way. It makes ConceptDraw Office best marketing project management software for gantt chart planning marketing message, scheduling stages when to send massive text messages or when use email marketing services in specific projects. There are simple steps on how to use project management software for marketing, sales actions and product support. This is simple all in one toolbox for managers who need best project management software for small business as for planning and brainstorming as for reporting at project execution stage. Using gantt charts together with mindmap visuals and professional presentations charts make it excellent creative project management software. ConceptDraw PROJECT is portfolio project management software it allows manage many projects with multi gantt chart.

Examples of Flowcharts, Org Charts and More

ConceptDraw DIAGRAM covers a broad spectrum of business graphics categories and offers at ConceptDraw STORE enormous online collection of pictorial examples and samples for different thematics and application areas. It is a plentiful source of inspiration and wonderful examples of professionally designed diagrams, flowcharts, UML diagrams, organizational charts, databases, ERDs, network diagrams, business charts, different thematic charts, schematics, infographics and plans developed specially for knowledge workers, engineers, managers, businessmen, marketing specialists, analytics, scientists, students, professors, journalists and also for a large number of other people that every day use various diagrams and drawings in their work and life activity. Each of these examples is a real art, all they are well thought-out and designed without efforts with help of powerful tools of ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software. ConceptDraw examples display all variety of tasks, possibilities and results that ConceptDraw Product Line lets achieve fast and easy. ConceptDraw is one of the best Visio alternatives for Mac. It open all Visio formats like.vsdx,.vss,.vdx files and allows you to export files to Visio formats.

UML Block Diagram

Use Case Diagram Taxi Service UML. This sample was created in ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software using the UML Use Case Diagram library of the Rapid UML Solution from the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. This sample shows the work of the taxi service and is used by taxi stations, by airports, in the tourism field and delivery service.