I have Microsoft Access that is connected to an Oracle database via ODBC connection. In Access now I can access tables and data from Oracle.
How can I view/construct the data diagram from from within Access ? I don't have access to the Oracle database itself.
Many thanks.
You can certainly use the diagram tools in Access to layout and creating a relationships diagram in Access. However that diagram while “pretty” will of course NOT effect nor enforce nor change any of the attributes on the server side. In fact EVEN when using an Access front end linked to an access back end file, you are free to create the diagram in the front end, but you CAN NOT CHANGE the data structures nor set the relationships that exist.
Of course the above assumes you have FIRST linked all the tables you are going to work with from the Oracle database into Access. Once you have all the tables you plan to work with linked to the Access front end, the you can freely launch the relationships tool/window in Access and the proceeded to drop in the tables and draw relationships between the tables. Access will not automatic “pull in” the relationships in the front end and access will not draw the connecting relationships between the tables for you. However you can most certainly layout the tables, and draw relationship lines between those linked tables. As noted, any changes you make in this diagram will NOT be reflected in the back end database.
So while you are most free to draw and layout the tables, in access when using linked tables from an Access database, an SQL server database, or in this case an Oracle database, such relationships DESIGN changes in ALL CASES need to be made by the tools provided with the back end database system you have chosen to use Access with as the front end.
So to be clear, even with linked tables to an Access database, the use of the diagram tools in the front end will not make structure or relationship changes to the database. Of course with an Access database you would open up the back end database and then YES you can modify tables and modify relationships directly from the relationship window.
So when using linked tables, no data structure or relationships changes can or will occur to the back end database. However as noted you are most free to draw a “pretty” diagram with Access diagram tool and print it out when using an Oracle back end database. In effect the relationship tool in Access becomes a diagram tool without the ability to make changes to the linked database in question.
