Create a foreign key relationship with the connector tool

Can't find the database modeling features?

It is most likely that your edition of Microsoft Office Visio doesn't include the features you are looking for. To find out which edition of Visio you have, click About Microsoft Office Visio on the Help menu. The name of the edition is in the top line of text in the dialog box.

Microsoft Office Visio Standard does not include the Database Model Diagram template.

Microsoft Office Visio Professional supports the reverse engineering features for the Database Model Diagram template (that is, using an existing database to create a model in Visio) but it does not support forward engineering (that is, using a Visio database model to generate SQL code). For more information, see the topic, Reverse engineer an existing database.

If you are using the subscription version of Visio and want to learn about how to engineer an existing database into a database model, see the topic, Reverse engineer an existing database.

Note: You can find the full suite of database modeling features, including both reverse engineering and forward engineering, in Visio for Enterprise Architects. Visio for Enterprise Architects is included in MSDN Premium Subscription, which is available with Visual Studio Professional and Visual Studio Team System role-based editions.

Office 2010 Office 2007

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1. Open your database model diagram.

2. On the Home tab, in the Tools group, click Connector.

3. Position the Connector tool over the center of the parent table so that the table is outlined, and drag it to the center of the child table. When the outline appears on the child table, release the mouse button.

   Both connection points appear red, and any primary keys in the parent table are added as foreign keys to the child table.

4. Define the relationship by editing its properties.

   1. To open the Database Properties window, double-click the relationship whose properties you want to edit.

   2. In the Database Properties window, click the category that contains the information that you want to edit, and then make your changes.

      The database model diagram is updated.

1. Open your database model diagram.

2. Click the Connector tool on the Standard toolbar.

3. Position the Connector tool over the center of the parent table so that the table is outlined, and drag it to the center of the child table. When the outline appears on the child table, release the mouse button.

   Both connection points appear red, and any primary keys in the parent table are added as foreign keys to the child table.

4. Define the relationship by editing its properties.

   1. To open the Database Properties window, double-click the relationship whose properties you want to edit.

   2. In the Database Properties window, click the category that contains the information that you want to edit, and then make your changes.

      The database model diagram is updated.

See Also

Define a relationship in a Database Model diagram

Add tables and columns to Database Model diagrams

Create a Database Model