Database Designer for PostgreSQL offers you many features that allow you to be creative and productive in your work on database design and maintenance:
PostgreSQL Native Support
Database Designer for PostgreSQL provides native support for PostgreSQL objects and data types. You can work with them in a very intuitive graphical interface. The central part of the application is a diagram that gives you a visual representation of the PostgreSQL database.
After you have completed designing the database diagram you can generate physical database directly on PostgreSQL server and even modify the already existing local or remote database. Please note that you can start working with the diagram by reverse engineering an existing PostgreSQL database (see Diagram overview, Main Window Organization, Database Generation, Reverse Engineering and Import overview).
Easy Object Location and Modification
You can easily navigate through the diagram objects by using Object Tree View window. It contains combined information about all objects of your diagram and displays the diagram in a hierarchical tree structure. Object Tree View window shows you: Domains, Tables, Columns, Indexes, References, Roles and Tablespaces. To locate any diagram table quickly, right-click on it in the Object Tree View window and select Go to object menu item from the context menu.
Check diagram Function
Database Designer for PostgreSQL can check your diagram for consistency and find typical errors, which may occur during the process of database design and maintenance. In terms of convenience, this feature can be compared to Microsoft Word's spell checker. It saves your time greatly and gives you the opportunity to concentrate on the main development tasks (see Check Diagram function).
Import From Multiple Data Sources
You can generate your diagram from an existing database structure. It's possible by reverse engineering a PostgreSQL database or importing a structure from other data sources.
Database Designer for PostgreSQL allows you to import database objects from PostgreSQL database, Microsoft Access, ADO (OLEDB)-compatible databases and SQL script (see Reverse Engineering and Import Overview).
Report Generator
Database Designer for PostgreSQL can generate comprehensive printable reports for you. This gives you the possibility of getting a hard copy of the report by printing it out. After that you can have your diagram approved by your colleagues and managers.
Generated reports contain information about all model objects.
You can get reports in HTML format (see Reports overview).
SQL Editor and Executor
With Database Designer for PostgreSQL you do not need any external tools for executing simple SQL statements and queries. The SQL Executor tool allows you to modify the existing structure of a local or remote database and even view data by running SELECT/INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE SQL statements (see SQL Executor).
Full Customization of Diagram and Objects Appearance
The appearance of the diagram can be adjusted according to your requirements and wishes. You can set the colors of the table background, table lines and references. You can configure the representation of the table information: enable showing of column and indexes icons, displaying indexes, keys, foreign keys and other (Diagram Overview, Diagram Display Preferences).
Multi-document Interface
Database Designer for PostgreSQL has Multi-Document Interface. This means that you can edit multiple documents simultaneously. You can place more than one diagram onto your work space, switch between them quickly, compare them, and drag objects from one to another (see Diagram Window).
Export of diagram to Graphical File
The product can export your diagram into multiple graphical formats: bitmap (PNG, GIF, JPEG) and vector (EMF) by using File | Export... menu item. This allows you to use graphical representation of a diagram in your documents (i.e. use it in Microsoft Word, LaTeX), publish diagram to Web sites, create big posters with it (see Export to Graphics).
Database Generation
When you have finished creating the database diagram, you get the possibility of generating SQL script for it (Database | Generate Database) and you can build the database on a local or remote PostgreSQL server directly (see Database Generation).
Database Synchronization
The Synchronize Database (Database | Modify Database...) tool helps you not only generate a new database but, what is more important, synchronize the existing PostgreSQL database with the diagram you are developing. Database Designer for PostgreSQL will automatically generate all required SQL statements. Which means that you do not have to create complex and inconvenient ALTER TABLE statements manually; moreover it significantly reduces the complexity and improves the reliability of all database modification tasks. Whatever complex diagram you have, you can synchronize the database with it literally in two clicks (see Database Synchronization overview).
Database Connection Manager
You can store the connection profiles for your database within the Database Connection Manager and access any of them quickly. You do not have to remember multiple parameters of connections — just click on the connection profile and get access to the database (see Database Connection Manager overview).