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24 Database Modeling Tips for Vertabelo

This one is frequently asked on our support: “In the data types panel, I can’t find the data type I need. Does this mean I cannot use it in Vertabelo?”

Of course, you can. Vertabelo will never let you get stuck in a data type dead end. Even if the type you need is not listed, it doesn’t mean you cannot use it. Data types you can find under the 'gear' button are just the most popular ones.

There are many more data types that Vertabelo recognizes, but instead of choosing them from the list, you have to enter their names into the Type text field.

Let’s take a look at the following database model for a car rental agency. There is the car table with the picture column that has the bytea data type. Suppose that you want to change this type for oid. You can do this in two ways.

1. In the data types panel

Select the car table and go to the Table properties panel on the right. Find the picture column and click the 'gear' button next to the data type text field:

The data types panel is displayed:

If you can’t find your desired data type there, select the current type’s name in the Type text field and then replace it with the name of the data type you want to use:

2. Directly in the “Table properties” panel

You don’t have to open the data types panel to set or change data types for your columns. You can do it directly in the Table properties panel.

Just select the current data type’s name and replace it with the one you need to use:

The change is automatically reflected in your diagram:

Unsupported data types are not an issue

It may happen that you want to use a type that is so new that even the Vertabelo validator doesn’t know it. But it’s not a problem at all – the worst thing you may face is seeing a warning that the type is not supported:

Anyway, you won’t lose any available functionalities since generated SQL or XML files will just use the type you have provided:

If you find these warnings too distracting, it is possible to turn them off in Model validation settings. (Want to know more? Click here!)

What’s more, please, drop us a line at contact@vertabelo.com about it and we will add this type to the supported ones.

 
 
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