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MySQL Workbench :: 7 Data Modeling
7.1 Modeling Menus »
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Chapter 7. Data Modeling

Table of Contents     [+/-]

7.1. Modeling Menus     [+/-]
7.2. The Toolbar     [+/-]
7.3. Model Editor     [+/-]
7.4. EER Diagram Editor     [+/-]
7.5. Working with Models     [+/-]
7.6. Modeling Tutorials     [+/-]
7.7. Printing     [+/-]
7.8. MySQL Workbench Schema Validation Plugins (Commercial Version)     [+/-]
7.9. Customizing DBDoc Model Reporting Templates     [+/-]

MySQL Workbench provides extensive capabilities for creating and manipulating database models. Some of these capabilities are listed here:

  • Create and manipulate a model graphically.

  • Reverse engineer a live database to a model.

  • Forward engineer a model to a script or live database.

  • Create and edit tables and insert data.

This is not an exhaustive list. These, and additional data modeling capablities, are discussed in the following sections.

The Home screen is the typical starting point for work with data modeling. In the Data Modeling section of the Workspace you can use the action items there to create and manage models, forward and reverse engineer, and compare and synchronize schemata. These action items are listed below:

  1. Open an Existing EER Model

  2. Open an Existing EER Model (icon)

  3. Create new EER Model

  4. Create EER Model from Existing Database

  5. Create EER Model from SQL Script

Open an Existing EER Model

Clicking this action item launches a file browser - you can then select the model file you wish to load. A new MySQL Model tab will then be created, and your model displayed.

Open an Existing EER Model (icon)

If you have already created one or more model files you can simply double-click the item of the model you wish to load. A new MySQL Model tab will be created, and your model displayed.

Create new EER Model

Clicking this action item will launch a new MySQL Model tab, with a blank model ready for you to work on.

Create EER Model from Existing Database

The purpose of this action item is to allow you to create an EER Model from an existing live database. Clicking this action item launches the Reverse Engineer Database. This is a multi-stage wizard that allows you to select a connection to a live server, and select the schema and objects you wish to reverse engineer into your new model. This is a convenient way to see how an existing database is structured.

For further information on reverse engineering see Section 7.5.9.2, “Reverse Engineering a Live Database”.

Create EER Model from SQL Script

The purpose of this action item is to allow you to create a model from a SQL Create script. Such a script may have been created by hand or may be as a result of reverse engineering an existing database to generate the script, which may then be modified according to requirements. Clicking this action item launches the Reverse Engineer SQL Script wizard. This is a multi-stage wizard that allows you to select the script you want to create your model from.

For further information see Section 7.5.9.1, “Reverse Engineering Using a Create Script”.