Analyse Database Structure

The Database Summary option (available from the Navigation Pane and the Database | Analysis menu) provides a high-level analysis tool for viewing your database structure, via the following views:

Record Type Table. Shows a table of records types.
Structure Network Diagram. Shows an interactive visualisation of your summary data.

Record Type Table

This provides a high level view of your database record types, as follows:

ID	The ID of the record type.
Icon	The record type icon.
Record Type	The record type name. Click to open in Search REsults pane.
Link	Click to open Search REsults in new window.
Count	The number of record instances created for this record type.
Show	Select to include the record type in the Connectivity Diagram. Record types with no records are shown in the lowerand are not included by default in the diagram.

Structure Network Diagram

The Network Diagram is a spring-type diagram that displays an interactive visualisation of the record types selected in the Summary Table.

The network diagram shows record types as nodes, and the connections (pointer fields and relationships) as the lines between nodes (edges). Selected entities are shaded blue.

Move the record types to restructure the diagram as you wish.

Use the network diagram options to change the display settings, as follows:

Lines: Lines can be straight or curved. You can also change the line length (between records), and the maximum width (width is indicative of the number of records in the connected record type, but the maximum width can be set here.
Entity: You can set the maximum radius for a record type and its colour (radius width is indicative of the number of records in the record type, but the maximum width can be set here).
Labels: Turn line labels on and off, as well as setting their size and colour.
Transform: These settings control how the diagram elements are displayed (i.e. line and radius width). Linear and Logarithmic settings will vary the line width and radius width based on relative weightings, while Unweighed will show all widths as equal. Fisheye creates a fisheye effect where the closer the entity is to the selected entity, the larger it appears.
Gravity: Select Gentle or Aggressive to determine to what degree entities are repositioned around the selected entity based on their relative weightings. Tip. Use Aggressive initially, and then Gentle or turn Off.
Mouse: Mouse: Determines how you can use the mouse: The (default) mouse pointer icon lets you select and move a single node. Selected entities are shaded blue on the diagram and also on the Search Results pane. The rectangle icon lets you select and move a group of nodes. The information icon lets you view information about by clicking on a node.

Created with the Personal Edition of HelpNDoc: Free HTML Help documentation generator