I need a recommendation for a good free or low cost ER modeling tool.

Thanks,
David

the absolute best free or low cost modelling tool is paper and pencil (with eraser)

Paper and pencil are definitively much more relaxing than using a computer,
but it's been a long time since I touched a pencil with eraser :-)

I was asking, because I just read "Tip: ER Modelling Tools" in "Simply SQL".
Creating the foreign keys in HeidiSQL, is tedious. A reliable graphical tool would be nice.

David

nice one about the tip in that book

when you googled "data modelling tools" did you come up empty?

regarding Heidi, what version are you on?

creating foreign keys is a breeze, it's point & click on dropdowns that are aware of your table structure -- not tedious at all

but i have to admit i'm not sure when this FK support was added, although i know it works wonderfully in version 6

Google came up with Toad Data Modeler and other software.

You once recommended Heidi and I use it since.
So I was hoping to not have to install and uninstall a few trial versions until I find a good one, you (or someone else) might suggest a good ER modeling tool.

I am on HeidiSQL 6.0.0.3603 and the point and click dropdowns seem tedious to me.

David

oh

well, have a look at these, then -- Data Modelling Tools

That's a good list.

Thanks Rudy!


Don't you use one of the products yourself?

nope, paper and pencil ...




... with eraser


and when it comes time to "forward engineer" the model into actual CREATE TABLE statements, i use a plain old text editor and type everything in myself (okay, to be honest, i use a lot of snippets and search/replace)

I tried the MySQL workbench and it really did not help a lot.
Maybe it is a matter of working habits.