Entity relationship diagrams (ER diagrams) demystified

Entity relationship diagrams (ER diagrams) are a common tool used in database design. An ER diagram is a visual tool used to depict the relationships between entities in a database. These diagrams are used to help analysts and database administrators understand how data is related, and to make changes to the database without having to rebuild it from scratch.

Entity relationships can be represented using a number of different symbols, but the most common is a diamond. Entities are placed in the center of the diagram, and their relationships to other entities are shown by lines emanating from them.

By the end of this post, you will be able to understand the basics of ER diagrams and be able to distinguish them.

Implementing an ER diagram

Creating an Entity-Relationship (ER) diagram involves the following steps:

Identify entities and their attributes: Start by identifying the main entities in your system or application. Entities represent real-world objects or concepts, such as customers, products, or orders. Determine the attributes of each entity, which are the…