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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.

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)
How to Build an Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)

ConceptDraw DIAGRAM ER Diagram Tool

ER-diagram is a tool used for database modeling which allows to determine data and relationships among the data. These diagrams help to detail data storages and to document all the properties of designed system. ER-diagram contains entities, attributes of the entities and the relationships between them. Chen’s notation and Crow’s foot notation are commonly used to represent elements in ER-model. To create such diagram you should use specific software, such as Entity-Relationship Diagram solution for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM.
ConceptDraw ER Diagram Tool works across any platform, meaning you never have to worry about compatibility again. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM allows you to make Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) on PC or macOS operating systems.

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.

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 Examples

Create 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.

ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software gives the ability to describe a database using the Entity-Relationship model. Entity-Relationship Diagram(ERD) solution from the Software Development area supplies the ConceptDraw DIAGRAM with icons advocated by Chen's and Crow’s Foot notation that can be used when describing a database.
How to Build an Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)
How to Build an Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)

Anyone Have an ERD Symbols Quick Reference?

ERD drawing becomes easier with predesigned entity relationship symbols, work flow shapes, entity relationship stencils. All variety of ERD symbols you may need for ERDs design is packed into libraries and templates from Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) Solution for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software.
But anyone have an ERD symbols quick reference? Detailed reference information for them is represented at the tables.
"Chen's notation for entity–relationship modeling uses rectangles to represent entity sets, and diamonds to represent relationships appropriate for first-class objects: they can have attributes and relationships of their own. If an entity set participates in a relationship set, they are connected with a line.
Attributes are drawn as ovals and are connected with a line to exactly one entity or relationship set.
Cardinality constraints are expressed as follows:
- a double line indicates a participation constraint, totality or surjectivity: all entities in the entity set must participate in at least one relationship in the relationship set;
- an arrow from entity set to relationship set indicates a key constraint, i.e. injectivity: each entity of the entity set can participate in at most one relationship in the relationship set;
- a thick line indicates both, i.e. bijectivity: each entity in the entity set is involved in exactly one relationship.
- an underlined name of an attribute indicates that it is a key: two different entities or relationships with this attribute always have different values for this attribute.
Attributes are often omitted as they can clutter up a diagram; other diagram techniques often list entity attributes within the rectangles drawn for entity sets." [Entity–relationship model. Wikipedia]
The vector stencils library ERD, Chen's notation contains 13 symbols for drawing entity-relatinship diagrams using the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software.
The example "Design elements - ER diagram (Chen notation)" is included in the Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution from the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.
Chen's ERD
Chen's ERD, week key attribute, weak entity, relationship, multivalue attribute, key attribute, identifying relationship, entity, derived attribute, attribute, associative entity,

What is Entity-Relationship Diagram

Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) is an acknowledged method to visualize the logical structure of databases. Using special symbols described in ERD notations you can depict a database of any complexity.
The vector graphic ER diagrams produced when using ConceptDraw ERD solution can be used in whitepapers, presentations, datasheets, posters, or any technical materials.

Entity Relationship Diagram Software Engineering

Entity Relationship Diagram (aka ERD, ER Diagram, E-R Diagram) is a well-tried software engineering tool for data modeling, system design and illustrating the logical structure of databases.
Professional ERD drawing is an essential software engineering method for database modeling. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM as a powerful Entity Relationship Diagram Software Engineering offers the tools of Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution from Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.