Products Solutions Samples Buy
✕
This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the ConceptDraw site you are agreeing to our Use of Site Cookies.
Try ConceptDraw Free

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)

Entity Relationship Diagram Symbols

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.
The vector stencils library "ERD, Chen's notation" contains 13 ERD elements.
Use it for drawing ER-diagrams using Chen's notation in the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software extended with the Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution from the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.
Entity
Entity, entity,
Weak entity
Weak entity, weak entity,
Relationship
Relationship, relationship,
Identifying Relationship
Identifying Relationship, identifying relationship,
Associative Entity
Associative Entity, associative entity,
Participation
Participation,
Optional participation
Optional participation,
Recursive Relationship
Recursive Relationship,
Attribute
Attribute, attribute,
Key attribute
Key attribute, key attribute,
Weak key attribute
Weak key attribute, weak key attribute,
Derived attribute
Derived attribute, derived attribute,
Multivalue attribute
Multivalue attribute, multivalue attribute,
Used Solutions
The vector stencils library "ERD, Chen's notation" contains 13 ERD elements.
Use it for drawing ER-diagrams using Chen's notation in the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software extended with the Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution from the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.
Entity
Entity, entity,
Weak entity
Weak entity, weak entity,
Relationship
Relationship, relationship,
Identifying Relationship
Identifying Relationship, identifying relationship,
Associative Entity
Associative Entity, associative entity,
Participation
Participation,
Optional participation
Optional participation,
Recursive Relationship
Recursive Relationship,
Attribute
Attribute, attribute,
Key attribute
Key attribute, key attribute,
Weak key attribute
Weak key attribute, weak key attribute,
Derived attribute
Derived attribute, derived attribute,
Multivalue attribute
Multivalue attribute, multivalue attribute,
Used Solutions

SWOT Analysis

Most of the data needed for market analysis (demand, prices, volume of sales, etc.) are undefined, and in future are possible their changes as in the worst and the best side. SWOT analysis is effective method for prediction these processes and decision making for organizations that function in a competitive environment. It allows you to see the whole situation, to identify the strengths and weaknesses of organization (advantages and disadvantages), as well as opportunities and threats of external environment. The results of SWOT analysis are the basis for optimization the business processes, for development by the leading specialists in organization of interrelated complex of strategies and competitive activities. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software enhanced with SWOT and TOWS Matrix Diagrams Solution will effectively help you in strategic planning for your company, department, project, in development marketing campaign, in identification of four categories of factors of internal and external environment of organization, and construction professional-looking SWOT and TOWS matrices.

Notation & Symbols for ERD

The ER diagram is constructed from the specific ERD graphic elements. There are used 2 types of ERD notations: Chen and Crow's Foot. A complete set of work flow shapes, notation & symbols for ERD, entity relationship stencils, included in Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software, makes drawing diagrams based on ERD notation as smooth as possible.
This SWOT matrix diagram example was created on the base of article "An Easy Way To Jumpstart Your Strategic Plan: SWOT" by Leslie Wolf from the website of the California Digital Library, the University of California. "Strategic planning doesn’t have to be a daunting and lengthy process. The goal is really a simple one: to help you understand your world and build a road map to guide your efforts. ...
This analysis tool can help you focus your attention on the specific success factors that are right for your team.
The tool is called a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for Strengths and Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Here’s what it means:
(1) Strengths are those positive internal attributes that strengthen your business or team. You can develop plans to capitalize on those strengths.
(2) Weaknesses are those negative internal attributes that are working against your success. You can shore up those weaknesses so they don’t stop your success.
(3) Opportunities are those external conditions that can have a positive effect on your goals. These opportunities can point you in the right direction.
(4) Threats are those external conditions that can have a negative effect on your goals. These threats will affect you less if you can identify and minimize them. ...
We thought it would be helpful to show you a sample SWOT analysis for a business you can easily visualize: a small independent bookstore in a university town. The store owner brought the team together to think about how the bookstore could survive during the continuing financial downturn. After an hour of brainstorming, this is the SWOT analysis they developed." [cdlib.org/ cdlinfo/ 2010/ 09/ 29/ an-easy-way-to-jumpstart-your-strategic-plan-swot/ ]
The matrix diagram example "SWOT analysis for a small independent bookstore" was created using the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software extended with the SWOT Analysis solution from the Management area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.
SWOT matrix
SWOT matrix, SWOT analysis,
Used Solutions