Does anyone know of a good db design tool, a bit like visio professional except that its free?
Visual DB design tool
I've tried MyERD, but I didn't like it.
Are you looking for stuff like rational rose / uml modelling tools, or simpler stuff, i.e. Access like behaviour?
The mysql / postgresql manager programs from EMS look pretty good for the latter.
I've got a feeling that the FOSS versions of rational rose / uml modeling aren't really up to production levels just yet.
Yeah, EMS's PostgreSQL Manager is pretty good - they just released a new version.
What I'm looking for doesn't have to interact with a database at all. I just want something that will enable me to work out what I want in the database, and then enable me to print out the tables with relationships, a bit like the relationship diagram with access. The only drawback being that im using MySQL rather than access (and a good job too 
)
Does the EMS xxSQL Manager product work for you? I think it's about $150 or so.
Originally posted by piersk
except that its free?
you could always draw something up in photoshop, certainly your company, which is a M$ happy company, right, has given you access to photoshop or the like
Well, not photoshop, but fireworks. Was kinda hoping for something like visio. Might have to push for an upgrade...
If you were running postgresql I'd recommend pgadminIII. It's free and quite good.
You might take a look at argouml.
http://argouml.tigris.org/
It's free though it may not do the relation diagrams.
Unfortunately, it doesn't
15 years later
Have a look at dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL , it's free and has some really good features.
4 days later
This thread is FIFTEEN YEARS OLD! The OP is long gone.