Re: reverse-engineering advice?

>I'm looking for a decent tool to create database documentation. I've tried
>the typical options: Visio, PS DataArchitect, AppModeler, ERWin, Rational
>Rose, EZ/ER, & Visual Studio. The problem with these is they try to force
>you to perform all management functions from their application. If somebody
>changes the data structure from outside the application (such as SQL*Plus),
>you're forced to completely rechart the entire database, even if you only add
>one field to a table. Sure, it only takes a few clicks to do this, but none
>of these apps adequately lay out the tables and correctly display all the
>relations. What if you spend three hours reverse engineering your database
>and somebody adds a field to a table. I'm looking for something with an
>"update" button that will connect to the database and update the tables in
>their current layout. Has anyone tried Designer 2000?
>
>-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
>http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
>

I use Designer to reverse engineer - some people have had problems with Designer hanging or taking a long time to reverse engineer, but I have not.

If you RE a table that is already there, it just adds the new stuff - it does not delete or rename columns.

Like any tool,t has its problems, but it does a pretty good job (Designer 2 is better than the 1.x versions)

HTH
Dan Hekimian-Williams Received on Tue Apr 27 1999 - 03:05:18 CEST