Database design tools for SAP ASE / Sybase

List of tools that allow for the design of a database.

Database design is a set of activities aimed at improving the development, implementation, and maintenance of an enterprise data management system. Its main goal is to reflect the outline of the database system into real models: physical and logical. Database designers determine what data is to be stored inside the database, and how objects are to be related to each other.

Dataedo

Dataedo is a metadata management tool with data description language (DDL) export. It reads your schema and lets you easily describe each data element (tables and columns) and other database objects (like triggers, stored procedures, etc.) visually as ER diagrams. Additionally, DDL export allows you to export your database to a set of statements like CREATE and ALTER.

Desktop/Cloud: Desktop
Generate DDL scripts: Yes
Free edition: No
ER Diagram: Yes
Dataedo Data Catalog
DDL Export

DBeaver

DBeaver is a free multi-platform database tool for developers, SQL programmers, database administrators and analysts.

Desktop/Cloud: Desktop
Generate DDL scripts: Yes
Free edition: Yes
ER Diagram: Yes

ER/Studio

ER/Studio Data Architect helps to easily reverse- and forward-engineer, compare and merge, and visually document data assets across multiple platforms and data sources. It enables data professionals to better manage data models and metadata in complex and dynamic enterprise environments.

Desktop/Cloud: Desktop
Generate DDL scripts: Yes
Free edition: No
ER Diagram: Yes

Model Xtractor

Model Xtractor is a software utility designed to inspect modeling for traditional or enhanced ER models, with support for most relational database platforms.

Desktop/Cloud: Desktop
Generate DDL scripts: Yes
Free edition: Yes
ER Diagram: Yes

erwin Data Modeler

erwin Data Modeler (erwin DM) is a data modeling tool that lets you create and maintain sound relational database designs.

Desktop/Cloud: Desktop
Generate DDL scripts: Yes
Free edition: No
ER Diagram: Yes

DatabaseSpy

Altova DatabaseSpy is the unique multi-database query, design, and database comparison tool that even generates elegant charts directly from query results.

Desktop/Cloud: Desktop
Generate DDL scripts: Yes
Free edition: No
ER Diagram: Yes

SQuirreL SQL

SQuirreL SQL Client is a graphical Java program that will allow you to view the structure of a JDBC compliant database, browse the data in tables, issue SQL commands, etc.

Desktop/Cloud: Desktop
Generate DDL scripts: Yes
Free edition: Yes
ER Diagram: Yes

Toad Data Modeler

Toad Data Modeler enables developers, DBAs, and designers to create, maintain, and document quality database designs and structures across various database platforms.

Desktop/Cloud: Desktop
Generate DDL scripts: Yes
Free edition: No
ER Diagram: Yes

DbVisualizer

DbVisualizer is the universal database tool for developers, DBAs, and analysts. It is aimed to simplify database development and management. It provides tree-based navigation through database objects and let multiple objects to be displayed side-by-side.

Desktop/Cloud: Desktop
Generate DDL scripts: Yes
Free edition: Yes
ER Diagram: Yes

RazorSQL

RazorSQL is an SQL query tool, database browser, SQL editor, and database administration tool. It provides visual tools to create, alter, describe, execute, and drop database objects such as tables, views, indexes, stored procedures, functions, triggers, and more.

Desktop/Cloud: Desktop
Generate DDL scripts: Yes
Free edition: No
ER Diagram: No

DTM Data Modeler

DTM Data Modeler is an easy-to-use tool allowing you to work both with logical and physical data models in the form of an entity-relationship diagram. The program can create database schema objects directly in the database and can create SQL scripts corresponding to the model taking into account the specified settings.

Desktop/Cloud: Desktop
Generate DDL scripts: Yes
Free edition: Yes
ER Diagram: Yes

Visual Paradigm

Visual Paradigm provides a tool to create and communicate visual database design with professional ERD tool.

Desktop/Cloud: Desktop
Generate DDL scripts: Yes
Free edition: No
ER Diagram: Yes

DeZign for Databases

DeZign for Databases uses ERD and data models to graphically design databases and automatically generates the most popular databases.

Desktop/Cloud: Desktop
Generate DDL scripts: Yes
Free edition: No
ER Diagram: Yes

Gleek.io

Gleek.io diagram maker is freemium text-to-diagram tool for developers and software architects. It enables the visual design of database online, in the cloud and from any browser. Create informal, UML, or entity-relationship diagrams - using just your keyboard.

Desktop/Cloud: Cloud
Generate DDL scripts: No
Free edition: Yes
ER Diagram: Yes

IBM InfoSphere Data Architect

Data Architect allows you to create models for DB2, Informix, Oracle, Sybase, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, and Teradata source systems. Elements from logical and physical data models can be visually represented in diagrams using Information Engineering (IE) notation.

Desktop/Cloud: Desktop
Generate DDL scripts: Yes
Free edition: No
ER Diagram: Yes

The database design process can be very complicated. The more complex the system, the more sophisticated the tool is needed. Their functionality can vary greatly, however, core features include:
• creating and editing database objects,
• database architecture modeling,
• visualization of a database schema,
• tracking relationships between entities,
• grouping logically related objects into clusters,
• diagrams overview.

Database designer tools enable building graphical models and generating DDL scripts on their basis. The script describes data and relations between entities in the designed database. Furthermore, the tools enable reverse engineering (visualization of the model from the SQL script).

Key factors of creating a reliable and well-organized database are:
• a properly designed data structure,
• establishing what data should be stored in particular objects,
• how objects should be related to each other.

All of them can be improved by using the relevant Database design tool. Additionally, some of them allow the visual representation of data using ERD, makes it easier to visualize even more complex schemas.

Without proper software, development is based on raw code. This increases the risk of errors at the initial stage. The tools allow users to edit the visual layout using simple drag-and-drop functions. With a user-friendly interface, browsing the structure is possible even for non-IT people.

We have created a list of tools that support the process of creating database structure and its content. Our list includes free database design tools as well as advanced, more professional data management tools.