I am evaluating TOAD Data Modeler. It is a good product, but I cannot see it handling the following scenario. We use an ORACLE 9i database with multiple schemas, and foreign keys can span from one schema to another. I would assume you could reverse-engineer each schema into a separate workspace, but how can you set up a foreign key relationship between 2 tables in different workspaces. You could clone tables, but for QA reasons, you would only want each distinct table defined once.
Also, this product seems targeted to individual programmers. Can it be successfully implemented to be used by a team?
TDM3 contains version manager, so it can be used by multiple users, at least tracking of changes is possible.
What I know about schemas, they are something like workspaces . The fact that you have foreign keys spanned between schemas is possible due to another fact - all tables are still in one database. Schema is a set of objects.
Workspace in TDM3 is the same. A set of visible objects. And still all objects in each workspace are the same project therefore the same database.
To have foreign keys between workspaces you do not have to do anything. They are already there.
Try to create two entities connected with relationship. Then create new workspace ant from context menu on workspace area click on complete from all. You will see both tables there. Then press DEL on parent table. The child table still will have all needed fields including foreign keys. As I have already said, it is only a set of visible items.
Except the Version Manager, let me add that TDM3 also allows you to merge models (in the Convertor dialog).
Users can work with separate models (parts of large models) and then merge them together into already existing model or create a new model from scratch.
In the Convertor, you can also define what you like to merge and what items should be ignored during the model merge.
See Help file | Modeling | Model Merge.
Other tips on what arki already explained:
Help file:
Modeling | Model Objects | Shortcuts of Objects.
Tips and Tricks | Tips and Hints for Large Models.
*Manual:
Interface Layout | Shortcuts of Objects | Using Shortcuts (examples).