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ERD Symbols and Meanings

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.
How to Build an Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)
How to Build an Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)
"Crow's Foot notation is used in Barker's Notation, SSADM and Information Engineering. Crow's Foot diagrams represent entities as boxes, and relationships as lines between the boxes. Different shapes at the ends of these lines represent the cardinality of the relationship." [Entity–relationship model. Wikipedia]
The vector stencils library ERD, crow's foot notation contains 18 symbols for creating the ER-diagrams using the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming nd vector drawing software.
The example"Design elements - ERD solution (crow's foot notation)" is included in the Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution from the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.
Crow's foot ERD
Crow's foot ERD, entity,
Used Solutions

Entity Relationship Diagram - ERD - Software for Design Chen ER Diagrams

The Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution from ConceptDraw Solution Park extends ConceptDraw DIAGRAM ector graphics and diagramming software with the ability to describe a database using the Entity-Relationship (Chen) model. Use it for design your ERDs and verify that ConceptDraw DIAGRAM offers the best ERD diagrams software tools for design element Chen notation.

entity-relationship diagram, ER-diagram, database ERD Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD)

entity-relationship diagram, ER-diagram, database ERD
An Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) is a visual presentation of entities and relationships. That type of diagrams is often used in the semi-structured or unstructured data in databases and information systems. At first glance ERD is similar to a flowch

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).

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).
"In software engineering, an entity–relationship model (ER model) is a data model for describing a database in an abstract way. ...
Crow's Foot notation is used in Barker's Notation, SSADM and Information Engineering. Crow's Foot diagrams represent entities as boxes, and relationships as lines between the boxes. Different shapes at the ends of these lines represent the cardinality of the relationship." [Entity–relationship model. Wikipedia]
This ERD example was redesigned using the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software from the educational data base model. [www2.cs.uregina.ca/ ~bernatja/ crowsfoot.html]
The example "Entity-relationship diagram (Crow's foot notation)" is included in the Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution from the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.
Crow's foot ERD
Crow's foot ERD, entity,
Used Solutions

Design Element: Chen for Entity Relationship Diagram - ERD

Entity-Relationship Diagrams (ERDs) were developed and introduced as a convenient and visual tool for the data modeling, they are the perfect way for easy determining data and also relationships between them. The first standard notation for ERD was proposed by Chen. Chen's notation is very rich on the data modeling tools and standard notation symbols and elements for drawing easy understandable Entity-relationship diagrams, Attribute diagrams, Decomposition charts, which are especially popular for designing relational databases. The entity is the main term, it is a set of instances abstract or real objects with common characteristics or attributes. Any system's object is represented by one uniquely identified entity, relationships describe the links between the entities. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming software, which includes the Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution, offers all needed tools for professional drawing ER diagrams. Specially developed vector ERD design elements according to Chen and Crow's Foot notations are indispensible for professional ERDs design.