When documenting a system or process,
looking at the system in multiple ways increases the understanding of that
system. ERD diagrams are commonly used in conjunction with a data flow diagram
to display the contents of a datastore. They are very helpful when needing to
visualize how data is connected in a general way, and when constructing a
relational database.
Best Practices:
Identify the entities: The first step in
making an ERD is to identify all of the entities you will use. An entity is
nothing more than a rectangle with a description of something that your system
stores information about. This could be a customer, a manager, an invoice, a
schedule, etc. Draw a rectangle for each entity you can think of on your page.
Keep them spaced out a bit.
Identify relationships: Look at two entities,
are they related? If so draw a solid line connecting the two entities.
Describe the relationship: How are the
entities related? Draw a diamond between the two entities on the line you just
added. In the diamond write a brief description of how they are related.
Complete the diagram: Continue to connect
the entities with lines, and adding diamonds to describe each relationship
until all relationships have been described. Each of your entities may not have
any relationships, some may have multiple relationships. That is ok.
Verify accuracy: Consult with all
stakeholders to verify accuracy.
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