ERD Symbols and Meanings

Crow's foot notation is used in Barker's Notation, Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method (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.
The Chen's ERD notation is still used and is considered to present a more detailed way of representing entities and relationships.
To create an ERD, software engineers mainly turn to dedicated drawing software, which contain the full notation resources for their specific database design - ERD symbols and meanings. CS Odessa has released an all-inclusive Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution for their powerful drawing program, ConceptDraw DIAGRAM.

How to Build an Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)

Entity Relationship Diagram Symbols

Creating an entity-relationship (ER) model is to visually represent the structure of a business database, where data equates to entities (or objects) that are linked by defined relationships expressing dependencies and requirements. By nature it is an abstract visualization, the first step in the design process towards creating a logical and functional database.
ERD symbols used for professional ERD drawing are collected in libraries from the Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM.

Components of ER Diagram

ConceptDraw gives the ability to draw ER diagram (ERD) for visual describing database using the entity relationship symbols, work flow shapes, entity relationship stencils. Entity-Relationship model making possibility to describe a database using the components of ER Diagram in which in the tables data can be the point to data in other tables - for instance, your entry in the database could point to several entries.

Data structure diagram with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM

Data structure diagram (DSD) is intended for description of conceptual models of data (concepts and connections between them) in the graphic format for more obviousness. Data structure diagram includes entities description, connections between them and obligatory conditions and requirements which connect them. Create Data structure diagram with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM.

Entity Relationship Software

Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERD) illustrate the logical structure of databases.
The vector graphic diagrams produced when using the ConceptDraw ERD solution can be used in whitepapers, presentations, datasheets, posters, or any technical materials.
It is convenient to design ER Diagrams using ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM extended with the Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution supports Chen's and Crow’s Foot notations that are often used to describe database structure.

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.

ConceptDraw DIAGRAM Database Modeling Software

ConceptDraw DIAGRAM is a very easy-to-use and intuitive database design tool which can save you hundreds of work hours. See database diagram samples created with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM database modeling database diagram software.

Software and Database Design with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM

ConceptDraw DIAGRAM is a perfect tool for designing and planning tasks such as:
UML diagramming; designing and prototyping Graphical User Interface (GUI); flowcharts, data flow diagrams; database and ERD diagramming (Chen ERD, Database Model diagram, Express-G, Martin ERD, ORM Diagrams and more); SSADM diagrams, Booch diagrams, Nassi-Shneiderman diagrams with special flowchart symbols.

ERD Symbols and Meanings

"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

Used Solutions

AREA_SOFTWARE_DEVELOPMENT >

Crow’s Foot Notation

Flowchart Components

The ConceptDraw Flowchart component includes a set of samples and templates. This geathered as flowchart maker toolbox which focused on drawing flowcharts of any industry standards.

Block Diagram Software

The popularity of Block Diagrams grows day by day. The existence of powerful software for their design is an excellent news! ConceptDraw DIAGRAM Block Diagram Software offers the Block Diagrams Solution from the "Diagrams" Area.

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.

UML Use Case Diagram Example. Registration System

The use case diagram (behavior scenarios, precedents) is the initial conceptual representation of the system during its design and development. This diagram consists of actors, use cases and relationships between them. When constructing a diagram, common notation elements can also be used: notes and extension mechanisms.

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 types of user’s interactions with the system and is used at the registration and working with the database system.

UML Object Diagram. Design Elements

UML Object Diagram shows the structure of a modeled system at a specific time.
ConceptDraw has 393 vector stencils in the 13 libraries that helps you to start using software for designing your own UML Diagrams. You can use the appropriate stencils of UML notation from UML Object library.

Financial Trade UML Use Case Diagram Example

Financial Trade <br>UML Use Case Diagram Example *

This sample represents the actors, use cases and dependencies between them, and also the relationships between use cases. There are used dependency and use case generalization associations on this UML diagram. Use case generalization is used when you have two similar use cases, but one of them does more than another.
This sample shows the work of the Financial Trade sphere and can be used by trading companies, commercial organizations, traders, different exchanges.

Data Flow Diagram Process

This example is created using ConceptDraw DIAGRAM enhanced with solution Data Flow Diagrams. It shows the process of account receivable.

Wireframe Tools

A wireframe is a scheme of a future web page. Wireframe illustrates the web page structure, location and size of the main elements, as well as their interaction with the user. With such scheme designer defines the functionality of the page, not its appearance.

Flowchart Process Example

ConceptDraw DIAGRAM is a professional software for creating great looking flowcharts. The samples included in this set of software allows users to draw any type of flowchart.

UML Class Diagram Generalization Example UML Diagrams

UML Class Diagram Generalization Example<br>UML Diagrams *

This sample was created in ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software using the UML Class Diagram library of the Rapid UML Solution from the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.
This sample describes the use of the classes, the generalization associations between them, the multiplicity of associations and constraints. Provided UML diagram is one of the examples set that are part of Rapid UML solution.

Database Flowchart Symbols

Data base diagrams describes inter-related data and tables. It describes roles and relationships, internal and external dependencies, data exchange conventions and structures of knowledge domain.
ConceptDraw Software provides number of data-base chart libraries including major 49 vector symbols. Use these DFD flowchart symbol libraries to design data-base structure and models, use it to design data base process-oriented models, or simple data-oriented models. The are special drawing tools for making data flowcharts, data process diagrams, structured analysis diagrams, and information flow diagrams.

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