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.

Entity Relationship Diagram Software Engineering

Entity Relationship Diagram (aka ER Diagram, E-R Diagram, ERD) is a time-tested and widespread software development and software engineering method for data modeling, illustrating the logical structure of databases and system design. For ERDs construction are used three basic elements: entities, attributes, and relationships. Chen's notation for ERD supposes the use of rectangles (boxes) to represent entities and diamonds to depict relationships between first-class objects. This notation is popular when creating conceptual data models of information systems. Another standardized notation for ER diagrams is Crow's foot notation. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM as a powerful Entity Relationship Diagram software engineering provides the tools of Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution from Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park for instantly describing databases using ERDs of Crow’s Foot and Chen’s notations. Use the predesigned vector elements for both these notations from 2 libraries included to Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution.

Software development with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM

Modern software development requires creation of large amount of graphic documentation, these are the diagrams describing the work of applications in various notations and cuts, also GUI design and documentation on project management. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM technical and business graphics application possesses powerful tools for software development and designing technical documentation for object-oriented projects. Solutions included to the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park provide the specialists with possibility easily and quickly create graphic documentation. They deliver effective help in drawing thanks to the included package of templates, samples, examples, and libraries with numerous ready-to-use vector objects that allow easily design class hierarchies, object hierarchies, visual object-oriented designs, flowcharts, GUI designs, database designs, visualize the data with use of the most popular notations, including the UML and Booch notations, easy manage the development projects, automate projection and development.

MS Visio Look a Like Diagrams

No need for any special drawing skills to create professional looking diagrams outside of your knowledge base. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM takes care of the technical details, allowing you to focus on your job, not the drawing. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM delivers full-functioned alternative to MS Visio. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM supports import of Visio files. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM supports flowcharting, swimlane, orgchart, project chart, mind map, decision tree, cause and effect, charts and graphs, and many other diagram types.

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.

UML Class Diagram Notation

When it comes to system construction, a class diagram is the most widely used diagram. UML Class Diagrams is a type of static structure diagram that is used for general conceptual modeling of the systematics of the application. Such a diagram would illustrate the object-oriented view of a system. The object orientation of a system is indicated by a class diagram. It describes the structure of a system by showing the general issues,classes of a system, attributes, operations, interfaces, inheritance, and the relationships between them.

Databases Access Objects Model with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM

ConceptDraw Basic gives the opportunity of interaction with any ODBC-compatible databases. For this the Database Access Objects Model is provided. All calls to the database are made by certain methods of objects of this model.

Software Diagram Examples and Templates

ConceptDraw DIAGRAM is a powerful tool for business and technical diagramming. Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park provides 5 solutions: Data Flow Diagrams, Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD), Graphic User Interface, IDEFO Diagrams, Rapid UML.

ConceptDraw DIAGRAM The best Business Drawing Software

ConceptDraw DIAGRAM is new software for business and technical drawing. Powerful business drawing tools, extensive libraries with pre-drawn shapes, free samples of business drawings, technical drawings and flowcharts, support of many graphic formats enable users to visually develop their business drawings charts and diagrams in any combination of drawings, diagrams and flow charts.

ORM Diagram

The vector stencils library ORM Diagrams from the solution Software Development contains specific ORM symbols for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software. The Software Development solution is contained in the ConceptDraw Solution Park.

IDEF1 standard

Use Case Diagrams technology. Using visual graphical objects IDEF1 standard allows to model information interrelations.

Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method. SSADM with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM

Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method (abbr. SSADM) is a method developed in Great Britain and accepted in 1993 as a national standard for information systems development and analysis. SSADM is based on Data Flow Diagrams and is characterized with presence of clear sequence of steps at projecting, analysis, and documenting of information system. It involves 6 main stages: analysis of existing system or estimation of practicability, requirements definition, determination of technical requirements and equipment cost, development of logical data model, projecting of logical requirements and specification them, physical projecting. Each of them is also divided into several steps defining the tasks that should be fulfilled at a given stage. The most important SSADM elements are flows modeling with help of DFD, data logic modeling with help of LDS (Logical Data Structure) and description of entities behavior. Applying of SSADM is easy with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software and Data Flow Diagram solution.

UML Component Diagram. Design Elements

UML Component Diagram illustrates show components are wired together to larger components and software systems that shows the structure of arbitrarily complex systems. Rapid UML Solution for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM contains 13 vector stencils libraries with 393 interactive shapes that you can use to design your UML diagrams. To design a Component Diagram use the UML Component Diagram library. UML Component Diagram library contains 36 shapes

Process Flow Diagram Symbols

Chemical and Process Engineering Solution from the Industrial Engineering Area of ConceptDraw Solution Park is a unique tool which contains variety of predesigned process flow diagram symbols for easy creating various Chemical and Process Flow Diagrams in ConceptDraw DIAGRAM.

Mathematical Diagrams

ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software extended with Mathematics solution from the Science and Education area is the best for creating: mathematical diagrams, graphics, tape diagrams various mathematical illustrations of any complexity quick and easy. Mathematics solution provides 3 libraries: Plane Geometry Library, Solid Geometry Library, Trigonometric Functions Library.

Booch OOD Diagram

The vector stencils library Booch OOD from the solution Software Engineering contains specific symbols of the Booch method such as class symbols, association symbols, aggregation symbols for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software. The Software Engineering solution is contained in the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.

Design Elements for UML Diagrams

The Rapid UML solution from Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park includes 13 vector stencils libraries for drawing the UML 2.4 diagrams using ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software.

Aerospace - Design Elements

Samples, templates and libraries contain vector clip art for drawing the Aerospace Illustrations.

Fire Evacuation Plan Template

Have you ever created the fire plans on the base of Fire Evacuation Plan Template? It's incredibly convenient and time-saving way. Let's try to make sure this with Fire and Emergency Plans solution from the Building Plans Area for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software.

Flowchart design. Flowchart symbols, shapes, stencils and icons

A flowchart is a type of diagram which represents an algorithm, process or workflow, displays the steps as boxes of various kinds and depicts their order by connecting them with arrows. Any business graphic document will be more colorful and understandable if will use professional-looking and visual diagrams and flowcharts. Flowchart design gives versatile presenting and explaining of the process. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM flowchart software enhanced with Flowcharts solution helps effectively make Flowchart Design. Use of predesigned flowchart symbols and bright color palette offers a fresh view and favorably distinguishes the flowcharts designed in ConceptDraw DIAGRAM from the black and white flowcharts on a paper. Preferably to use no more than three or four colors and apply identical for the same shape types. The best flowchart design can be achieved by starting with Flowchart template, or any of suitable ready examples or samples offered in ConceptDraw STORE, open one of them and enter the proper text into each Flowchart shape. Each symbol of the flowchart has a definition that can't be changed. This means that all flowcharts shapes can be grouped in according to their meaning. Users with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM flowchart software can style groups of symbols with close definitions by color sets chosen from complementary palette. Almost all workflows can be depicted as a flowchart. Colored diagrams are more light for perception of the certain information, this is part of flowchart design. Bright colors need to be used in the key points of Decision symbols, to focus attention on their importance for whole process flow.