Objects can be color-coded for grouping and easy idnetification in SqlDBM. This can help identify objects which belong to the same logical grouping even though they are on opposite ends of a diagram. Color-coding can also work with methodologies such as Data Vault.

SqlDBM has a palette of colors in object properties (see "Format" tab) for certain kinds of objects:

• Schemas

• Tables

• Notes

• Views

• Virtual relationships

When you pick a color for schema, table, view, or virtual relationship, you will also see that color appear next to the object name in the Explorer panel.

Schemas

Pick a color for your schemas to point out objects that the schema contains.

For instance, when you color a Schema with orange, all future tables in that schema become orange too. If you want to force all existing objects in a schema to inherit the schema color, just click the "Override" button in the Schema properties.

Tables and Views

By default tables and views are marked with the same color as their schema.

Notes

You also can pick a color indicator for notes. Just as for Tables and Schemas, in the "Note" properties, you can see the format tab with a color palette.

Colors of a Note are completely independent of Table or Schema colors, therefore can not be inherited.

Virtual relationships

Virtual relationships are foreign key relationships that do not explicitly declare the foreign key through DDL. The line pattern of virtual relationships uses long spaces instead of a solid line and short spaces for non-virtual.

To help differentiate virtual from non-virtual relationships, virtual relationships are also color-coded by default.

Relatioship line styles:

Identifying: Solid line, no color

Non-identifying: Short-spaced short-dash, no color

Virtual identifying: Long-spaced long-dash, green color

Virtual non-identifying: Long-spaced short-dash, orange color

If you pick another color and create a new virtual relationship using the top bar, that color will be remembered.