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Creating Diagrams and Databases with Online Tools

In the world of software development and system design, creating clear and effective diagrams is essential to visually represent complex concepts. Fortunately, there are intuitive and powerful tools that allow you to create system diagrams, application schematics, software architectures, mockups, mindmaps and much more. Among these, Draw.io is a versatile and free platform for creating diagrams of various types, while ERDPlus and DrawSQL are tools dedicated to database design and schematization.

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Using Draw.io to Create Diagrams

Draw.io (available at drawio.com) is an online and offline tool that lets you create various types of diagrams, including:

  • System diagrams, to represent the structure of an IT infrastructure.
  • Application diagrams, useful for describing the interaction between software components.
  • Software architectures, to visualize the design and distribution of modules.
  • Mockups, to create prototypes of graphical interfaces.
  • Mindmaps, to organize ideas and concepts in a hierarchical way.

With its drag-and-drop interface, Draw.io lets you create diagrams easily, using libraries of predefined symbols and shapes. It also supports export to various formats, including PNG, SVG and PDF, and can be integrated with cloud services such as Google Drive, OneDrive and GitHub.

Draw.io

Draw.io offers several saving options to keep your diagrams safe. The full list is shown below:

Draw.io - Saving

Database Design with ERDPlus and DrawSQL

In addition to modeling systems and software architectures, it is essential to be able to design a database in a structured way. For this purpose, there are dedicated tools that simplify the creation of Entity-Relationship (ER) schemas and their conversion into SQL statements.

Creating the Entity-Relationship Schema with ERDPlus

ERDPlus is a web application that allows you to create ER diagrams intuitively. With this tool, you can:

  • Draw entities, relationships and attributes with a simple graphical interface.
  • Automatically generate the relational schema from the ER diagram.
  • Export the model to different formats for immediate integration into projects.

ER to SQL Conversion via AI

Once you have created an Entity-Relationship schema, you can convert it directly into SQL using AI tools such as ChatGPT or Gemini.

Generating the Relational Schema with DrawSQL

Once you have generated the SQL code, you can convert it into a relational schema (the graphical table model) using DrawSQL. This tool offers:

  • The graphical visualization of tables and relations.
  • The automatic generation of SQL statements for creating the database.
  • Integration with development teams for more effective collaboration.

DrawSQL

Costs and Available Plans

Draw.io is completely free and available without limitations. ERDPlus is also accessible without costs, offering all the features needed to create ER schemas.

DrawSQL, on the other hand, offers a free plan with limited features, which is however sufficient to manage a basic relational schema. For more advanced needs, premium plans are available with additional features.


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