Building ERDs with Oracle SQL Developer

In a database, an entity represents a unique and identifiable object that holds relevant information. You can think of it as the fundamental unit that mirrors your business logic within the database structure. For example, let's say that you're creating a book management system. The basic units envisioning your business logic could include items, such as books, authors, categories, etc. These units can track and manage data on book information in your database.

In a relational database, entities can be connected to each other through relationships. For example, a book entity can be related to an author entity, indicating that the author wrote the book. Then the relationships between the entities can be modeled using foreign keys, which links the tables together.

An ERD, or Entity-Relationship Diagram, is a visual representation of the relationships between entities in a database. It illustrates the logical structure of a database and the relationships between different entities. In this blog post, we'll explore the process of generating an ERD using Oracle SQL Developer.

1. Access the Data Modeler Browser

In Oracle SQL Developer, navigate to the View → Data Modeler → Browser. This will open a new tab with the Data Modeler tools on the left down corner.

2. Create a New Relational Model

In the Browser tab, right-click on Relational Models and select New Relational Model. This will create a blank canvas for your ERD.

3. Import Tables

If you want to create an ERD based on existing tables in a database, go to File → Data Modeler → Import → Data Dictionary. Oracle will prompt a new window. Then select the desired database connection and schema. Next, you should choose the objects you want to include in the ERD. Once you finish object selection, click finish.

4. Export Diagram

You can export your ERD as an image, PDF, SVG, or HTML file. Right-click an empty space on the ERD, then navigate to Print Diagram.