Chapter 24. Connecting Diagrams and Databases

Microsoft Office Visio 2007 diagrams can make jaw-dropping presentation graphics, but the diagrams also contain a wealth of information. You can export that information to a database or spreadsheet program, or update that information based on the contents of a database or spreadsheet program. For example, you could access the serial numbers of the computers in your office’s network to add them to a planning database. You can associate shapes that represent parts with the specification data stored in a manufacturing database. You can export shape data, such as dimensions and other data, to a database, which is a one-way procedure. You can also create a two-way link between database records and shapes. This latter feature gives you the ability to create dynamic diagrams that respond to data from an external source. In effect, your diagram becomes a visual front end to your database.

This chapter discusses how Office Visio 2007 works with databases so that you can export shape properties and link shapes to databases.