I created a table by dragging an Entity shape from the stencil on the left onto the drawing page. I then double-clicked the table shape, entered Customer as the physical name, and closed the dialog box. Next, I right-clicked the table shape and selected Edit Columns from the menu. I clicked Add and entered custID as the physical name in the Column Properties dialog box. Then, I clicked the Data Type tab and ensured that I had selected the Show Portable Data Type. I selected Numeric from the Category drop-down menu, and left the default settings in the Type and Size menus. I followed the same steps to create additional attributes and tables. I could use this schema for planning and designing before I actually opened my database application. You should note that Visio doesn't render the entire schema and show the relationship between tables like specialized tools (e.g., Microsoft's Visual Database Tools) do.
Visio Enterprise lets you generate database schemas from a working model in just a few steps. Additionally, you can reverse-engineer any ODBC-compliant database and print the tables and relationships for easier viewing.
Software Structure and Error Correcting
The third component of Visio Enterprise is software modeling, which lets you reverse-engineer Visual C++ (VC++) or Visual Basic (VB) code into Unified Modeling Language (UML) models, automatically check the model for syntax and semantic errors to ensure it meets UML 1.2 standards, and import and export Microsoft Repository class definitions to view them graphically. In addition, you can use one of 20 solutions (e.g., Booch, Rumbaugh, Yourdon, and Shlaer-Mellor object-oriented methodologies) to design and document software projects. Finally, you can mock up Windows 9x user interface (UI) components (e.g., dialog boxes, menus, other screens) for usability testing and reviewing before you include them in a product.
I found the semantic error checker interesting. The utility runs in the background to identify and diagnose errors such as missing data and improper notation. I opened a model that I created and resized the Errors window to view the messages. I double-clicked the first message, a generalization error that refers to a circular reference in the model. The software highlighted the extra generalization connector that I defined between two of the classes in my diagram.
Next, I double-clicked the Association error, which refers to associations that connect to only one class rather than the required two classes. I clicked and dragged the missing Receipt class from the UML Navigator to the diagram. To finish correcting the error, I pressed the Ctrl key and dragged the unconnected ends of the two associations over the Receipt class.
The SaleLineItem[Class] error was a result of having the same name assigned to two different classes. I right-clicked the first SaleLineItem in the UML Navigator window, chose Rename from the menu, and typed the name ItemSpecification to correct the error.
Finally, you can extend Visio drawings into custom-built applications by using the drawings as objects. For example, you can extend your visual network implementation by presenting your network diagram in a window in which double-clicking each network object sends a ping request to the target system. Although you must write the appropriate source code, the software lets you couple its drawings to that code.
Three Arms Are Better Than One
Visio Enterprise is a diagramming Swiss Army knife that is cost-effective for almost any organization. The multiple facets of the program let you automatically find hardware on all sizes of networks. Network diagrams are easy to create from scratch, but I would prefer the toolbars and windows to slide out when you point the mouse at them. Visio Enterprise supports all the major databases, including Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and Access 97. The software lets you reverse-engineer class definitions into UML static structures and create UIs to assist in usability testing before spending time coding. The need for documenting networks and programs has always existed—Visio Enterprise finally fills that need.
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