# Data Modeler - UI Walkthrough

Astera Data Stack contains a built-in data modeler that you can use to create a data model from scratch or by reverse engineering an existing database. In this article, we will cover a detailed overview of the data modeler’s user interface.

### Video

{% embed url="<https://youtu.be/9eoYQwlOjks>" %}

### Overview

Let’s assume that we’ve created this data model by reverse engineering an existing database:

<img src="/files/mUERKtRdiGvqkPTY8Min" alt="01-sample-data-model" width="563">

### Toolbar

The data modeler contains a dedicated toolbar that provides an extensive list of options.

![02-data-model-toolbar](/files/ZB3Nu2QJYYRTDIzK4J8k)

You will find the following options or shortcut icons on the toolbar, from left to right.

*Zoom*: A dropdown menu that allows you to zoom in or out of a model.

*Auto-Size All*: Adjusts the size of each entity object.

*View at an Entity Level*: Reverts to the default setting of displaying only entity names on the data modeler.

*View Entity and all Elements*: Displays all of the elements or fields in each entity present in the model.

<figure><img src="/files/97xd4eMXHrxHcwfj8I4O" alt="" width="560"><figcaption><p>03-view-entity-and-all-elements</p></figcaption></figure>

*View Entity and Keys*: Displays all of the primary and foreign keys in each entity present in the model.

<figure><img src="/files/xAz0nt1h02HYMbRkezoj" alt="" width="563"><figcaption><p>04-view-entity-and-keys</p></figcaption></figure>

*Show or Hide Items*: Displays only the selected entities in the model.

<figure><img src="/files/ce3S6ZEf7I8WXBfCllIl" alt=""><figcaption><p>05-show-or-hide-items</p></figcaption></figure>

*Show Alias Labels*: Displays the parent and child alias on each relationship link in the model.

<img src="/files/vSalmKpZ3CHyvjVT1mcd" alt="06-data-model-aliases" width="563">

*Show Verb Labels*: Displays the parent-to-child and child-to-parent verbs, if assigned by the user, on the relationship link. You can assign these verbs to each relationship via the *Edit Relationship* window.

*Show Data Types*: Displays the data types of each field in an entity. This option is only applicable if one of the following options has already been selected: *View Entity and all Elements* or *View Entity and Keys*.

![07-view-data-types](/files/1MuPfX7fI5du4FduTIuk)

*Add Self Reference*: Allows you to create a self-reference relationship within an entity. To learn more about how you can use this option, click [here](/data-model/data-models/creating-and-editing-relationships.md#self-reference).

*Link entities to create non-identifying relationships*: Allows you to create non-identifying relationships between entities. To learn more about how you can use this option, click[ here](/data-model/data-models/creating-and-editing-relationships.md#non-identifying).

*Link entities to create identifying relationships*: Allows you to create identifying relationships between entities. To learn more about how you can use this option, click [here](/data-model/data-models/creating-and-editing-relationships.md#identifying).

*Manage all relationships in data model*: Allows you to manually mark relationships as identifying or non-identifying.

*Pointer*: Reverts back to the default pointer in case you had selected one of the options used to link entities and create relationships.

*Infer Relationships from Field Names*: Automatically assumes and creates relationships based on common field names between entities.

*Denormalize Entities*: Enables you to denormalize or combine two entities in the model.

*Deploy Data Model*: Enables you to deploy a data model. For more information on deploying a data model, click [here](/data-model/deployment-and-usage/deploying-a-data-model.md).

*Change Database Connection Info*: Allows you to change the database connection of the model via a *Database Connection* window.

<img src="/files/rZ9VJKqOBim3j0iilgcb" alt="08-database-connection" width="563">

*Bulk Operations*: *Allows you to perform actions on multiple data model entities at once, such as filtering or updating attributes.*

<figure><img src="/files/2382YiszIBiuarT19HaM" alt="" width="563"><figcaption><p>09-bulk-operations</p></figcaption></figure>

*Reverse engineer an existing database*: Allows you to create a data model by reverse engineering an existing database. To learn more about the process of reverse engineering, click [here](/data-model/data-models/reverse-engineering-an-existing-database.md).

*Forward Engineer an existing database*: Allows you to create a DDL script from a data model.

*Povider*: Select the database provider to connect to your data source (e.g., SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Snowflake).

### Toolbox

The toolbox includes a few objects which can be used as part of a model.

<img src="/files/JsFYpLQTS1wVwU5U6uWU" alt="10-data-model-toolbox" width="263">

You can drag and drop any of these objects onto the data modeler.

*Annotation*: Provides a textbox for you to add a comment on the model.

*Date Dimension*: A non-editable date dimension entity that can be used as part of a dimensional model.

*Entity*: An editable general entity that can be added to an existing data model or used to create a data model from scratch. To learn about general entities, click [here](/data-model/data-models/general-entity-properties.md).

Time Dimension: A non-editable time dimension entity that can be used as part of a dimensional model. For more information on date and time dimensions, click [here](/data-model/dimensional-modelling/date-and-time-dimension.md).

### Data Model Browser

The data model browser provides a single window for you to edit the data model and its components without having to look through the entire model and access the entities directly.

<img src="/files/fNpDPH6JZp0YsAHQbq4C" alt="11-data-model-browser" width="293">

You can expand each entity to view the elements contained in it.

<img src="/files/rwiOOYRfoi5zJMhL4E8B" alt="12-data-model-browser-entity-elements" width="290">

Moreover, you can right-click on an entity name and choose to go to the actual item in the data model.

<img src="/files/jfrgjWEG77xf6jerO3aR" alt="13-data-model-browser-context-menu" width="279">

The other options available in the context menu are the same as those that appear when you right-click on an entity in the data model.

<img src="/files/HvEJbg3AoYqUfJRsJTjw" alt="14-entity-context-menu" width="336">

At the very top of the data model browser, a few options/icons are available.

<img src="/files/anzCd0u1ZIS82EZW3Z83" alt="15-data-model-browser-options" width="293">

*Sort Entities Alphabetically*: Sorts the entity names in an alphabetical order. This option is selected by default.

*Group Entities by Type*: Creates separate nodes for each entity type. In this case, there’s only going to be one node, *General*, if this option is selected.

*Group Entities by Schema*: Organizes entities under nodes based on their database schema (e.g., dbo, sales).

*Expand All*: Expands all of the nodes in the data model browser.

*Collapse All*: Collapses all of the nodes in the data model browser.

*Delete this object from the data model*: Deletes the selected object from the data model.

You can use the search bar underneath these options to search for any specific entity or field in the model.

### Views

At the bottom of the data modeler, you’ll notice a tab titled *Main* and an icon that represents the *Add New View* option.

<img src="/files/sRqthAtEkFb6iJj41KZv" alt="16-data-model-views" width="563">

The *Main* tab contains a view of the complete data model. If you wish to add a new view consisting of a few specified entities, click on the *Add New View* icon. A blank designer will appear on the screen. Here, you can create a new view by adding entities from the existing model, which can be done in two ways.

1. &#x20;Drag and drop the entities of your choice from the data model browser.

<img src="/files/7kP9ZguD4gHJPeivocvx" alt="17-view-data-model" width="563">

2. &#x20;Right-click on the designer and select *Add Existing Entities* from the context menu.

![18-data-model-context-menu](/files/mLNzxMupmiakO2ctBBTN)

The following pop-up window will appear on the screen:

![19-add-entities-new-view](/files/WX6jc0m1QMCht4lYpRr8)

Here, you can select the entities you want to include in the new view. In this case, we’ll select *People*, *Invoices*, and *InvoiceLines*.

![20-add-new-entities-new-view](/files/kQ36Xz5gsbL015n4lbDQ)

Once you’re done selecting the entities, click *OK*.

A new view consisting of the selected entities will appear on the screen.

<img src="/files/cHarON0j4S8fY2VtUQ22" alt="21-data-model-new-view" width="511">

Using the tabs at the bottom, you can switch between different views of the same model.

This concludes our walkthrough of the data modeler’s user interface.

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