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Database documentation tools
List of tools that allow the documentation (e.g. with descriptions) of schema of your databases.
Database documentation is a set of descriptions of the data, that facilitate management, maintenance, and retrieval of resources. Documentation can take many forms, however, it usually acts as a data catalog that holds detailed information about the table schema, all relationships, data types, etc. Description of datasets as well as single data objects also is referred to as metadata (data about the data).
Database Designer for MySQL
Database Designer for MySQL is a Powerful MySQL-oriented solution for database structure modeling, generation, and modification. It generates powerful reports that describe all the database objects within your diagram.
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| Runs on: (for desktop): | - |
| Commercial: | Commercial |
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| Allows editing: |
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| Metadata stored in: | Database comments/extended properties |
| Export: | HTML,PDF |
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AnySQL Maestro
AnySQL Maestro is the premier multi-purpose admin tool for database development and management which include editing, grouping, sorting and filtering abilities. It provides Generate Database Report Wizard through which you can create HTML or PDF report for the database structure of the selected object in the whole or partially.
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| Runs on: (for desktop): | - |
| Commercial: | Commercial |
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| Allows editing: |
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| Metadata stored in: | Database comments/extended properties |
| Export: | HTML,PDF |
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Oracle Maestro
Oracle Maestro is the premier Oracle admin tool that supports all the Oracle versions from 8i to 12c. It helps in database development and management and provides Generate Database Report Wizard through which you can create HTML or PDF report for the database structure of the selected object in the whole or partially.
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| Runs on: (for desktop): | - |
| Commercial: | Commercial |
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| Allows editing: |
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| Metadata stored in: | Database comments/extended properties |
| Export: | HTML,PDF |
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MS SQL Maestro
MS SQL Maestro is a complete and powerful database management, admin, development, and documentation tool for Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Azure SQL Database. Using its support for extended properties feature, you can add text, such as descriptive or instructional content, add input masks, and add formatting rules as properties of objects in a database.
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| Runs on: (for desktop): | - |
| Commercial: | Commercial |
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| Allows editing: |
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| Metadata stored in: | Database comments/extended properties |
| Export: | HTML,PDF |
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DB2 Maestro
DB2 Maestro is the premier DB2 admin tool that supports all DB2 versions from 8.x to 9.x. It provides services in database development, data management and documentation in HTML and PDF of the developed model.
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| Runs on: (for desktop): | - |
| Commercial: | Commercial |
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| Allows editing: |
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| Metadata stored in: | Database comments/extended properties |
| Export: | HTML,PDF |
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ASA Maestro
ASA Maestro is the premier SAP (formerly Sybase) SQL Anywhere admin tool that supports all SQL Anywhere versions from 10 to 16. It is a powerful tool for database development, easy database object management and documentation of all or specific objects.
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| Runs on: (for desktop): | - |
| Commercial: | Commercial |
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| Allows editing: |
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| Metadata stored in: | Database comments/extended properties |
| Export: | HTML,PDF |
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SQL Maestro for MySQL
SQL Maestro for MySQL is a complete and powerful database management, admin and development tool for MySQL and MariaDB. It provides Generate Database Report Wizard through which you can create HTML or PDF report for the database structure of the selected object in the whole or partially.
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| Runs on: (for desktop): | - |
| Commercial: | Commercial |
| Free edition: |
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| Allows editing: |
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| Metadata stored in: | Database comments/extended properties |
| Export: | HTML,PDF |
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SQLite Maestro
SQLite Maestro is the premier SQLite admin tool for database management (editing, grouping, sorting and filtering abilities), control, development and documentation.
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| Runs on: (for desktop): | - |
| Commercial: | Commercial |
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| Allows editing: |
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| Metadata stored in: | Database comments/extended properties |
| Export: | HTML,PDF |
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Firebird Maestro
Firebird Maestro is the premier Firebird tool for database management, control, development and documentation. It provides a rich set of GUI tools for anyone who uses Firebird including database developers, DBAs, and data analysts.
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| Runs on: (for desktop): | - |
| Commercial: | Commercial |
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| Allows editing: |
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| Metadata stored in: | Database comments/extended properties |
| Export: | HTML,PDF |
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ERDesigner NG
Mogwai ERDesigner is a free and open source entity relationship modeling/design tool and also generates schema documentation in different formats. It was designed to make database modeling as easy as it can be and to support the developer in the whole development process, from database design to schema and code generation and documentation.
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| Runs on: (for desktop): | - |
| Commercial: | Free |
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| Metadata stored in: | External repository |
| Export: | HTML,PDF,RTF |
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pgDesigner
pgDesigner is an open source data model designer for PostgreSQL. It comprises of different handy features to support database development, management, and reverse engineering in a graphical way. Besides that, it supports model documentation in HTML, PDF, and TXT formats. The generated documents contain, in a textual and descriptive content of the project, the objects contained therein each with its respective properties and configurations.
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| Runs on: (for desktop): | - |
| Commercial: | Free |
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| Metadata stored in: | Database comments/extended properties |
| Export: | HTML,PDF,Plain text |
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ClearDB Documenter
ClearDB Documenter generates comprehensive database documentation. It analyses and reports on a complete set of 59 schema (tables, views, procedures, functions, packages, types, triggers, etc) and non-schema (contexts, directories, profiles, users, roles, etc) object types with all their properties, DDL, privileges, synonyms, references, dependencies, source code.
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| Runs on: (for desktop): | - |
| Commercial: | Commercial |
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| Allows editing: |
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| Metadata stored in: | Database comments/extended properties |
| Export: | HTML |
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GenesisOne
GenesisOne is a database documentation tool that enables documenting all of the major SQL Server components. It has the ability to document database in exactly the way the users require and provides high-speed documentation creation of the complete database structure.
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| Runs on: (for desktop): | - |
| Commercial: | Commercial |
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| Metadata stored in: | Database comments/extended properties |
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ExPEditor
ExPEditor is a tool that facilitates the management of extended properties of objects of a SQL Server database and generates a database description in Word format.
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| Runs on: (for desktop): | - |
| Commercial: | Free |
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| Metadata stored in: | Database comments/extended properties |
| Export: | MS Word |
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KeepTool
KeepTool contains tools designed to streamline design, administration and program development. With the KeepTool DB Doc tool, you can generate appealing documentation of your database in HTML format with only a few clicks.
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| Runs on: (for desktop): | - |
| Commercial: | Commercial |
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| Metadata stored in: | Database comments/extended properties |
| Export: | HTML |
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Database documentation tools support data management by creating helpful descriptions, meaningful aliases, and annotating data assets with additional elements. The tools capture all the relevant information about the metadata and make it available to the users in a convenient way (tabular or graphical). The features of documentation tools can vary widely. The tools allow users to:
• Facilitate datasets with meaningful descriptions/aliases,
• Create relational diagrams,
• Advance search of resources,
• Track schema changes,
• Document repositories from various sources, through compatibility with many database engines,
• Automatic documentation export to user-friendly formats and easy-to-share formats (HTML, PDF, Excell )
Developers (especially those working on the backend) are constantly faced with questions from non-IT teams or customers about what a given object means. This is because creating and maintaining documentation is not a top priority. However, using documentation tools has many benefits such as:
• Help Data stewards quickly discover database schema,
• Data becomes understandable for non-IT members,
• Documentation as a single source of truth about the data is available to everyone
• Easier implementation for new people working on the repository,
We have selected database documenters that, we believe, are truly noteworthy. We have included both, open-source tools and advanced, professional software (offering trial versions).