Chapter 3 Building Physical Diagrams

Defining tables in a physical diagram

A table represents a collection of data arranged in columns and rows. It is the model equivalent of a database table.

From the property sheet of a table, you can access the following information about the table:

Columns are named properties of a table that describe its characteristics. See section Defining columns in a physical diagram.
Indexes are data structures associated with a table that are logically ordered by key values. See section Defining indexes in a physical diagram.
Keys are columns, or combinations of columns, that uniquely identify rows in a table. Each key can generate a unique index or a unique constraint in a target database. See section Defining keys in a physical diagram.
Triggers are segments of SQL code associated with tables, and stored in a database. They are invoked automatically whenever there is an attempt to modify data in associated tables. See the "Trigger overview" section in the Building Triggers and Procedures chapter.
Options are values used in some databases to specify physical parameters for tables, indexes, tablespaces, storages, primary keys, and alternate keys. See section Defining physical options for individual objects.
Preview allows you to see the SQL code of a table that will be used for its generation. See section Previewing SQL statements in chapter Physical Data Model Basics.