Re: data modeling tools

InfoModeler 3.1 does indeed work with Informix-Dynamic Server (IUS) but it falls flat in its inability to model server functions. It relies on a DB connection to populate its list of types with all but the most basic relational types. User-defined types and functions are -- whether your own or from a DataBlade -- are available to you only if you reverse- engineer them out of a DB. Seth "Bill MacLean" <NOSPAMbmaclean@worldnet.att.net> writes: >I really like Infomodeler (www.infomodelers.com) >Infomodeler supports IDEF1X (a la ERwin) and forward and reverse >engineering. Something really neat that only Infomodeler (I believe) does >is to help you preserve data when you have to change a database schema that >is already populated. Infomodeler will automatically synchronize it's >model to a physical schema and let you change the model, the schema, or >both if necessary. However, many changes cannot be accomplished by a >simple ALTER TABLE statement. In these cases, Infomodeler automatically >creates a backup table, INSERTS the data into the backup table, drops all >the appropriate foreign keys (both parent and child), drops the target >table, creates the new target table with your desired changes, migrates the >data back to the new target table, re-builds all the foreign keys and then >drops the backup table. All this is done in response to the user simply >making a change in the model, it saves a ton of work. >Infomodeler also supports Object Role Modeling (ORM). Models built in ORM >are truly conceptual and can be mapped to either a straight relational >logical model, or to an Object Relational Model. In fact, Infomodeler is >the only tool I know of that supports IUS, Oracle 8, and DB/2 5.0 object >relational features. Even if you don't use an ORDBMS, ORM has some great >advantages. An ORM model is much easier to verify with users, since it is >constructed of "fact" statements that are very close to natural language. >You can also model constraints in ORM that E/R modeling simply cannot >capture. Infomodeler will automatically create a properly normalized >logical model from your ORM model. Many constraints that you model in ORM >cannot be enforced by simple declarative referential integrity. For the >majority of these cases, Infomodeler will write stored procedure code to >enforce the constraint. Of course, when key declarations will do the job, >Infomodeler uses those. >There's a lot more, but you can tell I really like the tool, and it does >things that other tools just don't do. By the way, if you have a bunch of >ERWin models already lying around, Infomodeler reads/write ERX files. I >think you will find that once you have brought an ERWin model into >Infomodeler, you probably won't want to send it back out to ERWin because >Infomodeler models are more complete, but you can do it if you want to. >They have an eval version on the web site. A version of Infomodeler is >also bundled with Informix IUS. Be aware, however that the bundled version >is _very_ stripped down, so you're not going to get all the great features >with the bundled version. >Thanks, >Bill MacLean >(To reply to me, remove the leading >'NOSPAM') from the following: >NOSPAMbmaclean@worldnet.att.net >P.S. I do not work for Infomodelers, Inc. I have taught classes and >consulted for some of their clients. However, I have a relationship with >Infomodelers because I like their product, not vice versa. >_____________________________ >"Maria L. Wilson" <m.l.wilson@larc.nasa.gov> wrote in article ><69imo3$pv1@cssun.mathcs.emory.edu>... >> Anybody care to comment on their favorite (or worst) experiences with >> data modeling tools? I have heard some good things about ERwin....but >> not sure what else is out there..... >> >> >> TIA, Maria >> ----------------------------------------------------- >> Maria L. Wilson Computer Sciences Corporation >> NASA Langley Research Center >> 3217 North Armistead Ave. Hampton, Va 23666 >> email: m.l.wilson@larc.nasa.gov >> phone: 757-766-8265 >> fax: 757-766-2571 >> >> If there is no God, who pops up the next Kleenex? >> -- Art Hoppe >> ----------------------------------------------------- >> -- -- Seth Grimes Alta Plana Internet & database design & development grimes@altaplana.com http://altaplana.com 301-891-2581 grimes@access.digex.net http://www.access.digex.net/~grimes