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Enrichment & Visualization

This part covers features specific to diagram & wiki tools like dbdiagram.io & dbdocs.io. These constructs have no SQL equivalent and are used solely to annotate and support the visualization.

Note Definition​

Note allows users to give description for a particular DBML element. Two syntax forms are supported:

Table users {
  id int [pk]
  name varchar

  Note: 'This is a note of this table'
  // or
  Note {
  'This is a note of this table'
  }
}

Note's value is a string. If your note spans over multiple lines, you can use multi-line string to define your note.

Project Notes​

Project DBML {
  Note: '''
  # DBML - Database Markup Language
  DBML (database markup language) is a simple, readable DSL designed to define database structures.

  ## Benefits

  * It is simple, flexible and highly human-readable
  * It is database agnostic, focusing on the essential database structure definition without worrying about the detailed syntaxes of each database
  * Comes with a free, simple database visualiser at [dbdiagram.io](http://dbdiagram.io)
  '''
}

Table Notes​

Table users {
  id int [pk]
  name varchar

  Note: 'Stores user data'
}

Column Notes​

You can add notes to your columns, so you can easily refer to it when hovering over the column in the diagram canvas.

column_name column_type [note: 'replace text here']

Example,

Table orders {
  status varchar [
  note: '''
  💸 1 = processing,
  ✔️ 2 = shipped,
  ❌ 3 = cancelled,
  😔 4 = refunded
  ''']
}

Index Notes​

indexes {
  created_at [name: 'created_at_index', note: 'Date']
}

TableGroup Notes​

TableGroup e_commerce [note: 'Contains tables that are related to e-commerce system'] {
  merchants
  countries

  // or
  Note: 'Contains tables that are related to e-commerce system'
}

Sticky Notes​

You can add sticky notes to the diagram canvas to serve as a quick reminder or to elaborate on a complex idea.

Example,

Table jobs {
  ...
}

Note single_line_note {
  'This is a single line note'
}

Note multiple_lines_note {
'''
  This is a multiple lines note
  This string can spans over multiple lines.
'''
}

TableGroup​

TableGroup allows users to group the related or associated tables together.

TableGroup tablegroup_name { // tablegroup is case-insensitive.
  table1
  table2
  table3
}

// example
TableGroup e_commerce1 {
  merchants
  countries
}

TableGroup Notes​

Table groupings can be annotated with notes that describe their meaning and purpose.

TableGroup e_commerce [note: 'Contains tables that are related to e-commerce system'] {
  merchants
  countries

  // or
  Note: 'Contains tables that are related to e-commerce system'
}

TableGroup Settings​

Each table group can take optional settings, defined within square brackets: [setting1: value1, setting2: value2, setting3, setting4]

The list of table group settings you can use:

  • note: 'string to add notes': add a note to this table group.
  • color: <color_code>: change the table group color. See Colors for accepted color formats.

Colors​

Color values are specified as hex codes in shorthand or full form: #rgb or #rrggbb.

Table header color​

Use headercolor on a table to change its header color:

Table users [headercolor: #3498DB] {
  id integer [primary key]
  username varchar(255) [not null, unique]
}

Relationship line color​

Use color on a relationship to change the color of the relationship line:

// short form
Ref: products.merchant_id > merchants.id [color: #79AD51]

// long form
Ref {
  products.merchant_id > merchants.id [color: #79AD51]
}

TableGroup color​

Use color on a table group to change its background color:

TableGroup e_commerce [color: #3498DB] {
  merchants
  countries
}