Compare ER-diagram with database

General Questions/Discussions
1

Hi!
Can I compare ER-diagram with database (for example, Oracle)? Where I can see difference?

2

Hi Vinger4,

Thanks for your inquiry. You can reverse the database to ERD and then compare the reversed ERD with existing ERD by Visual Diff. Visual Diff facilitates the comparison of elements in diagrams/projects and properties of elements. More details about Visual Diff can be found from:
http://www.visual-paradigm.com/product/vpuml/provides/modelingtools.jsp#visualdiff

If you have generate database from your ERD, later you modified the ERD and would like to compare the difference between the modified ERD and the database, you can generate update statement from ERD. The update statement carries the changes from ERD to database, so it will reflect the difference between them.

  • Please note that update database/update statement does not support rename existing entity/column/foreign key.

In order to generate update statement, you can right-click on ERD and select Utilities > Generate SQL, or generate DDL at Tools > Object-relational Mapping (ORM) > Generate Database with option “Update Database”.
For details about Generate SQL feature, please visit:
http://www.visual-paradigm.com/support/documents/vpumluserguide.jsp?pt=5&ch=2&sec=2

And for details about generate DDL for updating database, please refer to:
http://www.visual-paradigm.com/support/documents/vpumluserguide.jsp?pt=5&ch=2&sec=3

Hope these help. Please feel free to ask if there is any further inquiry.

Best regards,
Lilian Wong

3

Lilian, thanks for your answer!
There is one small question. Does update statement support drop existing column/foreign key?

4

Reverse the database to ERD: drag and drop!

5

Hi Vinger4,

Thanks for replying. Sorry that dropping entity/column are not supported in update statement / update database since we consider as dangerous actions.

Is there anything I can do to help related to “Reverse the database to ERD: drag and drop!”?

Best regards,
Lilian Wong

6

“Is there anything I can do to help related to “Reverse the database to ERD: drag and drop!”?” - no, thanks.
But there is other small problem: can I correct ERD after Visual Diff? How? Manually?

7

Hi Vinger4,

Thanks for replying. Do you mean edit the data in projects/diagrams within Visual Diff dialog?
We do not support editing diagram/project in Visual Diff dialog since Visual Diff is a feature for visual comparison between diagrams/projects.

Best regards,
Lilian Wong