
Show HN: A JavaScript Tool for Database Diagramming - rms_returns
https://github.com/prahladyeri/VisualAlchemist
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avmich
Another pretty good tool e.g. for fast prototyping:
[https://github.com/ondras/wwwsqldesigner](https://github.com/ondras/wwwsqldesigner)

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yAnonymous
I like it, thanks. One thing: When two tables are right next to each other,
there's no need for the relation links to curve. Generally, rectangular links
are easier to follow.

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rms_returns
Thank You! Yes, I've been struggling with the jsPlumb library to convert that
to rectangular curves, but its on the list!

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curun1r
Disclaimer: I don't want to minimize your achievement or be overly critical of
the tool you've built. I've used a lot of relational database modeling tools
in the past and what you've built looks perfectly capable for the job. But I
clicked on your link hoping for something very different and didn't find it.
So hopefully others can point me in the right direction if what I am looking
for exists.

The crux of my disappointment stems from you having left out a word in the
description of your tool. It's a _Relational_ Database Diagramming tool...the
Relational aspect of it making it significantly less useful for me. I've
worked with Relational databases for close to 30 years and I find that I'm
able to design schemas in my head without the need for a tool. On occasion, a
tool that's able to reverse engineer a visualization of the model from the
schema can be useful in quickly coming up to speed on an existing schema, but
even that isn't essential.

Where I think tools would really help me is in designing for non-relational
databases. It's a harder problem, since those databases are often schemaless,
but that would make a design tool all the more useful, since those designs
could act as documentation that's often unnecessary in the relational world
where the schema is readily available.

So can anyone point me towards a visual design tool for non-relational
databases, document, kv or otherwise?

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lolive
For graph databases, I designed a tool to visually describe queries that can
be applied upon a DB. It introspects the current data model and display it as
entities and relationships, then with some drag n drops, you can visually
design the queries that can legally be applied upon that data model, therefore
on this database.

It is ok for any RDF database with SPARQL endpoint. It could be simply
extended to manage Neo4J and Cypher.

Comments welcome.

PS: cf [http://datao.net/](http://datao.net/)

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curun1r
That looks awesome. Tools like this are why I asked the question. Thanks for
responding!

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systemtrigger
Impressive. By chance have you looked at jsPlumb? If so what, if any, pain
points did you encounter?
[http://jsplumbtoolkit.com](http://jsplumbtoolkit.com)

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rms_returns
Yes. I'm using exactly jsPlumb to create the relationship links between the
table! The only slight issue I've encountered till now is that the joining
points are slightly moved to the left whilst the table is being moved, which
creates a slightly ugly user experience!

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gholevas
This is a similar tool I authored, however, tied to Mongoose/mongodb
[http://mongomulch.com/](http://mongomulch.com/)

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shash7
Hey I would like to try this but it fails to download. I reckon you could host
the zip on github which would be better.

Edit: Nevermind, finally downloaded, and its for mac only. Darn.

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gholevas
Since its an electron app you should be able to build a local copy for windows
by just following the directions on the github repo:
[https://github.com/gholevas/mongomulch](https://github.com/gholevas/mongomulch)

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romanovcode
It's nice but I like tools that actually take the database and then design the
layout e.g. Entity Framework Power Tools.

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threepipeproblm
Nice work. On your github page this caught my eye...

"Governance: Meritocracy"

So, who does Merit-determinance?

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projectramo
I really liked this tool, and it's what I used to quickly knock out the data
structures for my flask app.

Is there an alternative for django or flask?

p.s. I found the ability to save and reload old schemas was buggy (or i
couldn't get it to work).

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amelius
Hi, this looks nice, but could you make the examples somewhat more realistic?
I really wonder what this looks like with, say, 50 entities, all
interconnected.

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rms_returns
Your only issue would be perhaps screen real estate! Since this is a pure
JavaScript plus jQuery app and doesn't have any heavy framework like
Angularjs, performance shouldn't be a problem. Having said that, there are a
few UI issues that needs taken care of and I'm working on those bugs.

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amelius
Yes, screen real estate would be a problem, and also the way in which the
relationships between the entities are drawn (I am imagining that it may
become a "tangled" mess :) So a realistic example would be awesome.

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badgeek
Hi check this out similar tools but tied to laravel now...
[https://github.com/BioDesignRealWorld/LaravelDatabaseDesigne...](https://github.com/BioDesignRealWorld/LaravelDatabaseDesigner)

Ps, im the author

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rms_returns
Nice tool badgeek! You've given me some nice ideas for displaying the tables
on canvas. I like the fact that you've given "add column" button on the tables
itself instead of opening a separate edit view.

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badgeek
And you give me idea on how to add column seems nice with one dialog cheers!

