Diagram Tool Causes Strange Write Table Behavior

Using SQL Server 2000...
I'm creating a series of database diagrams for a database that has
~ 200 tables. The tables are segmented by module, so instead of
having one massive diagram I am creating a diagram per module.
All I'm doing is creating a new diagram, selecting all the tables
that belong to a module, and letting the software create the
diagram. I do make some format/layout changes to make the
diagram easier to read, but at no time am I making any structural
changes to the table.
For three of the four modules this approach has worked perfectly.
However, there is one set of tables that the tool thinks has been
altered, and it insists on writing the tables back to the database
before it will save it. The first time this happened I just said "No"
to any writing/saving and started over from scratch (I assumed I
had accidentally made a change to a table). The next time I added
all the module's tables, I simply moved one table two or three
inches to the left, and then tried to save the daigram (having 100%
confidence there were no accidental structural changes). Once
again, it wanted to write a few of the tables back to the database
before saving.
I have no idea why it thinks any structural changes occured to the
referenced tables. I certainly didn't make any, and on the rare
occasion I have accidentally made a change, I was able to
successfully start over by not writing/saving the change and
closing/opening the diagram.
Can anyone let me know what possible changes could have been
applied to a table(s) outside the diagram tool, that could affect the
diagram tool and make it think it needs to write the tables to the
database before saving?
ThanksHi Garth,
I don't know the answer to your question because I don't like, or use the
SQL Server diagramming tool - for the exact reason you're experiencing ...
changes to the diagram make changes to the database.
While I used to use ER/win (which is a fantastic tool), I've shifted to
Visio. Now, without the developer edition (I think that's the one) you can't
do a forward engineer, but you can reverse engineer any DB you can connect
to (ODBC, OLE DB, etc), it provides at least 80% of what matters in ER/win
(or Rational Rose) and you have the advantage that anyone with Visio can
read the file.
I admit it's going to be hard to learn it (as there is virtually no one on
the boards who know how), but I find it far, far superior to what is
available in SQL Server and more convenient than anything else.
Thanks,
Jay
"Garth Wells" <nobody@.nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:eQq7Mx1FIHA.4712@.TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Using SQL Server 2000...
> I'm creating a series of database diagrams for a database that has
> ~ 200 tables. The tables are segmented by module, so instead of
> having one massive diagram I am creating a diagram per module.
> All I'm doing is creating a new diagram, selecting all the tables
> that belong to a module, and letting the software create the
> diagram. I do make some format/layout changes to make the
> diagram easier to read, but at no time am I making any structural
> changes to the table.
> For three of the four modules this approach has worked perfectly.
> However, there is one set of tables that the tool thinks has been
> altered, and it insists on writing the tables back to the database
> before it will save it. The first time this happened I just said "No"
> to any writing/saving and started over from scratch (I assumed I
> had accidentally made a change to a table). The next time I added
> all the module's tables, I simply moved one table two or three
> inches to the left, and then tried to save the daigram (having 100%
> confidence there were no accidental structural changes). Once
> again, it wanted to write a few of the tables back to the database
> before saving.
> I have no idea why it thinks any structural changes occured to the
> referenced tables. I certainly didn't make any, and on the rare
> occasion I have accidentally made a change, I was able to
> successfully start over by not writing/saving the change and
> closing/opening the diagram.
> Can anyone let me know what possible changes could have been
> applied to a table(s) outside the diagram tool, that could affect the
> diagram tool and make it think it needs to write the tables to the
> database before saving?
> Thanks
>
>