How to: Open Database Diagram Designer
The Database Diagram Designer is a visual tool that allows you to design and visualize a database to which you are connected. When designing a database, you can use Database Designer to create, edit, or delete tables, columns, keys, indexes, relationships, and constraints. To visualize a database, you can create one or more diagrams illustrating some or all of the tables, columns, keys, and relationships in it.
Important
You can use the Database Diagram Designer to update databases in SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008, and SQL Server 2008 R2. However, SQL Server 2012 doesn't support this feature.
You can open Database Diagram Designer by opening a new or existing diagram.
Note
Your computer might show different names or locations for some of the Visual Studio user interface elements in the following instructions. The Visual Studio edition that you have and the settings that you use determine these elements. For more information, see Customizing Development Settings in Visual Studio.
Open a new database diagram
Right-click the Database Diagrams node of your connection in Server Explorer.
From the drop-down menu, click Add New Diagram.
In the Add Table dialog box, choose tables to work with in the diagram.
Note
If you choose Close without adding tables, you can go back and add tables later.
The Database Diagram menu will be added to the main menu and the designer pane will open.
Open an existing database diagram
Right-click the diagram under the Database Diagrams node of your connection in Server Explorer.
From the drop-down menu, click Design Database Diagram.
The Database Diagram menu will be added to the main menu and the diagram will open in the designer pane.