REFERENCE:

Database export

Generate Database dialog

The "Generate Database" dialog is a multi-screen dialog that allows you to create new table(s) in a specified database.

Step 1 screen

Export from

Specify which type of diagram your want to export from. The table(s) to be created can be described by a diagram of any of the following kinds:

• Enterprise Java Beans - relationships in the database are mapped to associations between supplier Bean class and client Remote interface. Identifying relationship is presented by two associations:

  • client Remote interface is associated by both the supplier Bean and Primary Key classes.
    
  • Similarly the associations between Beans (and, maybe, Primary Keys) and Remote interfaces transform to non-identifying (identifying, respectively) relationships. Other types of associations between EJBs are not supported.

• Class Diagram - recreates the database's structure in terms of classes with attributes whose types are Java equivalents of the database's column types (such class diagrams will closely resemble an ER diagram).

• Entity Relationship Diagram - a high level data model that shows the major entities and relationships which support a general business area. The objective of the entity relationship diagram is to provide a view of business information requirements sufficient to satisfy the need for broad planning for development of its information system.

"Export from" options on first screen of dialog

Diagram name

In the "Diagram name" choice field you can select a diagram of the appropriate type from among the currently opened diagrams (for example, if you choose the "ER Diagram" as the "Export from" option value, the "Diagram name" field will contain only currently opened ER diagrams). The database table(s) will be created as described by the selected diagram.

Click Next to proceed to the next screen.

Step 2 screen

Now you can choose what do you want to do with the generated DDL script:

Radio buttons

• If you select Generate DDL only , you can specify the file where you want the generated script to be saved. In this case the Finish button will become immediately enabled. Press it to finish and quit the dialog.

• If you select Generate and run, you can run the script immediately.

Server type

In the "Server type" field select the target database server type. Currently supported server types appear in the drop-down list.

JDBC driver

Read-only field. It is for informational purposes to let you know the driver being used. Displays the driver for the server selected in Server type field.

URL

Read-only field specifies the location and name of the target database. Values displayed depending on settings in the following fields where you must specify several parameters which are used to compose the URL and, later, to connect to the database.

Prefix

A string of a form jdbc:<subprotocol>: where <subprotocol> is the name of the driver, or the name of a database connectivity mechanism. For example, odbc, oracle:thin, etc.

Database

The database identifier. This varies with the database driver used, but it generally provides a logical name that is mapped by the database administration software to a physical directory where the database tables are located. For your database identifier to have any meaning, you must register the name using your database administration software. (The process of registration varies from platform to platform.)

Host name - Port

If you're connecting across a network, these are used to identify the remote machine (these fields are disabled for MS Access).

User name - Password

Initialized to the server's defaults. Specify appropriate values for both fields. Leave blank for MS Access databases that do not require a log-in.

Step 3 screen

When you have filled the required parameters click Next. Together attempts to connect to the specified database. If it succeeds, an additional option "Schema" will appear (A schema is a logical set of tables. Usually, it is thought of as simply "the database", but a database can hold more than one schema. For example, a star schema can be a set of tables where one large, central table holds all of the important information, and is linked, via foreign keys, to dimension tables which hold detail information, and can be used in a join to create detailed reports):

Schema name and Edit DDL

Press Next once again

Generate and run option selected

If you selected Generate and run on the first screen, this screen contains both the Schema name choice field and the Edit DDL button (see figure above). (Note that since MS Access doesn't support schemas, the "Schema" option will not be shown for MS Access.)

Edit DDL

If you click Edit DDL, then a simple editor displays the generated DDL script. You can review the script and make any changes manually. Click OK when done editing to return to the Generate Database dialog.

Optionally edit the generated DDL script

Generate DDL only option selected

If you selected Generate DDL only on the first screen, the last screen of the dialog displays the File name field rather then the schema chooser. It likewise has the Edit DDL button.

Last dialog screen for Generate DDL only option

If you want to generate the DDL script file to a location other than the default, specify the target path and filename.

Press the Finish button to complete the database export process.

See also:

User's Guide: Import-Export Operations