Source/Project Models: How is this supposed to be done?

[Max Metral]

I remember having attempted this before but it was a miserable failure. Now
I simply can't figure out how it was meant to work, and there is little or
no documentation that I could find about it.

So, I have a database with say 20 tables. 10 are related to concept A, and
10 to concept B. (The real number is larger, and that's why one document
won't do). So I want to create a database model project. I want to have
two source documents, for A and B. Tables in A reference tables in B.
(There are C and D and E, but first things first). Assuming these tables
and relationships exist in SQL server already, how should I go about
creating them and making the cross-document references work in the context
of the database project? I've tried external tables/columns with no luck.
I've tried leaving out the relationships in the source models and reverse
engineering in the db model, no luck.

What is the defined process for reverse engineering a database like this?

 

[Matt M]

Max Metral wrote:
....

So, I have a database with say 20 tables. 10 are related to concept A,
and > 10 to concept B. (The real number is larger, and that's why one
document won't do). So I want to create a database model project. I want
to have two source documents, for A and B. Tables in A reference tables
in B. (There are C and D and E, but first things first). Assuming these
tables and relationships exist in SQL server already, how should I go
about creating them and making the cross-document references work in the
context of the database project? I've tried external tables/columns with
no luck. I've tried leaving out the relationships in the source models and
reverse engineering in the db model, no luck.

What is the defined process for reverse engineering a database like this?

You don't specify what problems you're having, but have you considered using
pages instead of separate source models? Reverse engineer your database to a
single source model, create a separate page for each concept, and place your
tables on the relevant page.

Matt M.

 

[frank]

yes, but if you are using separate pages for a model, how can you refer to a
table that needs to be used on different pages? (reason for external when
you use e-r source models)

 

[Matt M]

yes, but if you are using separate pages for a model, how can you refer to
a
table that needs to be used on different pages? (reason for external when
you use e-r source models)

Make copies of the table using Ctrl-drag and place them on the appropriate
pages?

Matt M