SELECT SSADM : Step by step guide with screenshot how to use it.

SELECT SSADM is used by, not many engineers, to primarily design databases. Its most common purpose is creating the LOGICAL DATA STRUCTURE and PHYSICAL DATA MODEL.


You are presented with this first window: Let us now design our new database.

Click on Project>New

You get this:

Enter a Title and Choose the Directory where you wish to save your project. Note that it won't save in a directory which already has a project. Then you must manually create a folder in your windows.

You'll get a nice INFO when it has been created.

Now select File>New

Choose LDS in Type of diagram to create a Logical Data Structure.

You'll get a new blank window:

Right click anywhere. Select Entity to create your table.

Enter Entity(table) name. You can leave the Aspect blank. Click Ok.

You'll get this: A box with your table name. Now we need to start populating it with attributes.

You get this window:

Add an attribute in the text box and hit Enter or Return.

If you want this attribute to be your primary key, check the Prime Key at the bottom left.

Enter any attributes you want and hit Enter. Click OK when finished.

To view all attributes of your table, Right Click>select View>All Attributes.

Here is the result. The first table is created. Now create another one. For instance, the SALES table using the same steps as above.

The result:

Creating a RELATIONSHIP between Customer and Sales: Right on Customer>Select Add>Click on Relationship.

Now drag this dashed line over to Sales and release it.

An attribute has automatically been created in the Sales table (*Customer_ID). This is your foreign key. All foreign keys are represented by a *. Double click on the relationship line and you will get this window:

When closing the program you will need to enter a Title. That's all :)