Understanding Visual Database Tools

As you design a database, you create database objects such as tables, columns, keys, indexes, relationships, constraints, and views. To help you create these objects, Visual Database Tools provides three designers: the Database Diagram, Table, and Query and View designers. The following topics introduce the designers in detail, explain how to work with providers, and link to topics about database connections, objects, and multiuser environments.

In This Section

  • Visual Database Tool Designers
    Explains the tools provided with each designer.

  • Providers and Data Sources in Visual Database Tools
    Lists the providers that initially come with Visual Database Tools and explains how to choose the right one for your project.

  • Database Connections
    Provides links to topics on connecting to a data source using the Visual Database Tools.

  • Database Objects
    Provides links to topics describing the uses and advantages of various database objects you can use with the Visual Database Tools to design a database.

  • Multiuser Environments
    Provides links to topics on how to allow more than one person to work with a database at once, and how to resolve conflicts if they arise.

Reference

  • Reference (Visual Database Tools)
    Provides links to general reference topics covering queries, operators, search conditions, specific DBMS requirements, user interface reference topics, and error message topics.