Copyright: (C) 1992-1996 Visio Corporation
Citation: (C) 1992-1996 Visio Corporation


Entity

To add attributes to the entity, right-click the shape. To rename the entity, select the shape, then type. To connect to other shapes, glue an endpoint on a 1-D shape to a connection point [image] on this shape.


Relationship Shapes

To define attributes for the shape, right-click the shape, then choose Define Relationship.

To show a relationship between entities, glue an endpoint on this shape to a connection point [image] on entity shapes.

Control handles provide other shape actions. To see what a control handle [image] on a selected shape does, pause the pointer over the handle.


Recursive Relationship

To define attributes for the shape, right-click the shape, then choose Define Relationship.

To show a relationship between entities, glue an endpoint on this shape to a connection point [image] on entity shapes.


Category

To specify complete or incomplete category, right-click the shape. To add text, select the shape, then type. To connect other shapes, glue an endpoint on this shape to a connection point [image] on the other shapes.

Control handles provide other shape actions. To see what a control handle [image] on a selected shape does, pause the pointer over the handle.


Database Title

To add text, subselect a field, then type. To replace existing text, select the shape, then type.

Note: Visio updates the Edit, Creator, and Filename fields automatically. If you type in these fields, Visio can no longer update them.


Entity

To add attributes to the entity, right-click the shape. To rename the entity, select the shape, then type. To connect to other shapes, glue an endpoint on a 1-D shape to a connection point [image] on this shape.


Relationship

To define attributes for the shape, right-click the shape, then choose Define Relationship.

To show a relationship between entities, glue an endpoint on this shape to a connection point [image] on entity shapes.

Control handles provide other shape actions. To see what a control handle [image] on a selected shape does, pause the pointer over the handle.


Recursive Relationship

To define attributes for the shape, right-click the shape, then choose Define Relationship.

To show a relationship between entities, glue an endpoint on this shape to a connection point [image] on entity shapes.


Database Title

To add text, subselect a field, then type. To replace existing text, select the shape, then type.

Note: Visio updates the Edit, Creator, and Filename fields automatically. If you type in these fields, Visio can no longer update them.


Predicates

These shapes represent the roles or relationships between entity and value shapes in object-role model diagrams. To name a role, double-click a predicate, then place the cursor between ellipses, or placeholders, and type the name. To indicate a relationship between entity shapes, glue the endpoints on role connectors to each entity shape and to the appropriate role boxes on the predicate shape representing the relationship.


Constraint and annotation symbols

Drop to annotate or indicate constraints in an object-role model diagram. To connect a constraint symbol to the predicate role you want to constrain, glue one endpoint of the constraint connector to the symbol and the other endpoint to the appropriate role box. To change the frequency in the External Frequency Constraint symbol, select the symbol, then type the frequency you want.


Constraint and role connectors

Use to indicate constraints and roles in an object-role model diagram. Some constraints and roles connect entities and n-ary predicates and some sit above or below n-ary predicates. To connect other shapes, glue the endpoints on the constraint and role connectors to any location on the other shapes. To align constraint and role connectors above predicates, drag either endpoint on the connector until the shape is the length you want. To make the line in a connector disappear, select the connector, then choose No Line from the line color palette on the Shapes toolbar.


Entity

When you drop an entity shape, Visio prompts you for the entity name. To change the name at any other time, right-click the shape, then choose Set Entity Name. Connect the endpoints on relationship connectors to the connection points [image] on the entity shape.


Process

When you drop a process shape, Visio prompts you for the process name and ID number. To change the name and ID at any other time, right-click the shape, then choose Set Process Details. Connect the endpoints on relationship connectors to the connection points [image] on the process shape.


Bachman Connectors

To connect a relationship connector to an entity shape, glue an endpoint on the connector to a connection point [image] on the entity shape. To change the type of association a connector represents, right-click the connector, then choose Set To White (or Black) Start or Set To White (or Black) End. To change the size of the line ends, right-click the connector, then choose Set End Size. To change the way the connector bends, drag the control handle. To change the direction of the arrow, select the shape, then choose Shape > Flip Horizontal or Flip Vertical. To replace existing text, select the shape, then type the text you want.


Process Flow connector

To connect a process flow connector to a process shape, glue an endpoint on the connector to a connection point [image] on the process shape. To change the way the connector bends, drag the control handle. To change the direction the arrow points, select the shape, then choose Shape > Flip Horizontal or Flip Vertical. To replace existing text, select the shape, then type the text you want.


Entity/Value

To name an entity or value shape, select the shape then type the name. To connect an entity or value shape to a predicate role box, glue one endpoint on a role, mandatory role, or other connector to any location on the entity or value shape and the other endpoint to any location on  the appropriate role box. To indicate that entity A is a subtype of entity B, glue the plain endpoint of a subtype connector to entity A and the arrow endpoint to entity B.