16.6.8.4. Documenting the sakila Database

This chapter highlights the capabilities of MySQL Workbench as a documentation tool using the sakila database as an example. This is a sample database provided by MySQL and found in the Example Databases section of the http://dev.mysql.com/doc/ page. An EER diagram is an invaluable aid to a quick understanding of any database. There is no need to read through table definition statements; glancing at an EER diagram can immediately indicate that various tables are related.

You can also see how tables are related; what the foreign keys are and what the nature of the relationship is.

16.6.8.4.1. A PNG File of the sakila Database

Find below an EER digram showing all the tables in the sakila database. This image was created using the menu options File, Export, Export as PNG ....

Figure 16.82. The sakila EER Diagram

The sakila EER
          diagram

The object notation style used in Figure 16.82, “The sakila EER Diagram” is Workbench (PKs only). This notation only shows primary keys and no other columns so it is especially useful where space is at a premium. The relationship notation is the default, Crow's Foot.

As the connection lines show, each table is related to at least one other table in the database (with the exception of the film_text table). Some tables have two foreign keys that relate to the same table. For example the film table has two foreign keys that relate to the language table, namely fk_film_language_original and fk_film_language. Where there is more than one relationship between two tables, the connection lines run concurrently.

Identifying and nonidentifying relationships are indicated by solid and broken lines respectively. For example, the foreign key category_id is part of the primary key in the film_category table so its relationship to the category table is drawn with a solid line. On the other hand, in the city table, the foreign key, country_id, is not part of the primary key so the connection uses a broken line.

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