Define categories in a Database Model diagram

Applies To
Visio Professional 2021 Visio Professional 2019 Visio Professional 2016 Visio Professional 2013

Categories are child tables of a parent table. For example, an employee record (the parent) might contain a job-type column; category tables for that column might include engineer, technician, and administrator. Define the category by setting up the primary key in the parent table, and then setting up a foreign key in the child table, and linking the two.

Define a category in a database model diagram

  1. In Visio, on the File menu, click New > Software, and then click IDEF1X Database Notation.
  2. Choose between Metric Units or US Units, and click Create.
  3. From the IDEF1X Database Notation stencil, drag an Entity shape onto the drawing page to create a parent entity.
  4. Drag another Entity shape onto the drawing page to create a child entity.
  5. In the parent entity, click the attribute that is denoted with PK, and type the attribute name.
    In the parent entity, type the attribute name in PK.
  6. Complete the parent entity.
  7. Right-click the first attribute in the child entity, and select Insert ‘Attribute’ Before.
    Select Insert Attribute Before.
  8. Click the newly created attribute in the child entity, and type the attribute name that you entered earlier as the primary key in the parent entity.
  9. Right-click the attribute, and click Set Foreign Key.
    Click Set Foreign Key.
  10. Drag a Relationship shape onto the drawing page.
  11. Drag one end of the relationship shape to the middle of the parent entity until a green box appears around the entire shape.
  12. Connect the other end of the relationship shape to the child entity the same way.
  13. Repeat the steps for each child table.