Working with the relationships graph

Working with the relationships graph

Use the relationships graph to create, change, and view the relationships in your database file.

By default, the relationships graph displays all of the tables in your current database file. You can add tables from other files (including external ODBC data sources), add more than one occurrence of the same table to the graph, or remove tables from the graph using the buttons described below.

You can use the undo and redo keyboard shortcuts to incrementally remove or replace changes in the relationships graph. To undo changes, press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command-Z (OS X). To redo changes, press Ctrl+Shift+Z (Windows) or Command-Shift-Z (OS X).

To access the relationships graph:

1.

With the database open, choose File menu > Manage > Database.

2.

In the Manage Database dialog box, click the Relationships tab.

The relationships graph appears.

Relationships graph buttons

Click

To

Add a table to the relationships graph

Create a relationship

Duplicate selected tables (and relationships) and selected notes

Edit an existing relationship, table occurrence, or text note in the relationships graph

Delete a relationship, or table occurrence, or text note in the relationships graph

Align the left edges, centers, or right edges of the selected objects

Align the top edges, centers, or bottom edges of the selected objects

Distribute the selected objects horizontally or vertically

Resize the selected objects to the smallest width, smallest height, smallest width and height, largest width, largest height, largest width and height

Change the color of selected tables or notes in the relationships graph

Choose the object selection cursor (default cursor)

Add a text note to the relationships graph

Choose the magnification cursor

Choose the view reduction cursor

Adjust the magnification of the relationships graph to view all tables

Select related tables 1-away or select tables with the same source table

Manually reduce or increase the view of the relationships graph, up to 400%

Show page breaks

Show the Print Setup (Windows) or Page Setup (OS X) dialog box

Other relationships graph elements

Element

Action

Displays the names of the source table and source file as you move the pointer over the table header

Toggles the display of the table. Click once to collapse all but the match fields. Click again to collapse all but the table name. Click again to return the table to its original size.

Toggles the display of the text note. Click once to collapse to the first line of text. Click again to return the text note to its original size.

Indicates that the match field is available to match many records

Indicates that the match field is intended to match a single record, such as an auto-entered value

Indicates that the join cannot be made. For example, a match field is missing or is an unindexed field (such as an unstored calculated field or a global field), or the table closest to the indicator is missing or unavailable.

Displays the relational operator, or for a multi-criteria relationship

Related topics

About the relationships graph

About relationships

About planning a database

About the types of relationships

About match fields for relationships

Editing ODBC data sources

Click	To
	Add a table to the relationships graph
	Create a relationship
	Duplicate selected tables (and relationships) and selected notes
	Edit an existing relationship, table occurrence, or text note in the relationships graph
	Delete a relationship, or table occurrence, or text note in the relationships graph
	Align the left edges, centers, or right edges of the selected objects
	Align the top edges, centers, or bottom edges of the selected objects
	Distribute the selected objects horizontally or vertically
	Resize the selected objects to the smallest width, smallest height, smallest width and height, largest width, largest height, largest width and height
	Change the color of selected tables or notes in the relationships graph
	Choose the object selection cursor (default cursor)
	Add a text note to the relationships graph
	Choose the magnification cursor
	Choose the view reduction cursor
	Adjust the magnification of the relationships graph to view all tables
	Select related tables 1-away or select tables with the same source table
	Manually reduce or increase the view of the relationships graph, up to 400%
	Show page breaks
	Show the Print Setup (Windows) or Page Setup (OS X) dialog box

Element	Action
	Displays the names of the source table and source file as you move the pointer over the table header
	Toggles the display of the table. Click once to collapse all but the match fields. Click again to collapse all but the table name. Click again to return the table to its original size.
	Toggles the display of the text note. Click once to collapse to the first line of text. Click again to return the text note to its original size.
	Indicates that the match field is available to match many records
	Indicates that the match field is intended to match a single record, such as an auto-entered value
	Indicates that the join cannot be made. For example, a match field is missing or is an unindexed field (such as an unstored calculated field or a global field), or the table closest to the indicator is missing or unavailable.
	Displays the relational operator, or for a multi-criteria relationship

Topics in this section

Creating relationships

Changing relationships

Adding tables to the relationships graph

Duplicating tables in the relationships graph

Moving tables or notes in the relationships graph

Resizing tables in the relationships graph

Aligning tables in the relationships graph

Adding text notes to the relationships graph

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