Generating and Exporting ER Diagrams in DBeaver for Database Documentation

Desired outcome

Create a clear entity‑relationship diagram of a database schema, adjust its layout for readability, export it in a vector format suitable for documentation, and save the diagram file so the layout can be version‑controlled alongside schema changes.

Prerequisites

• DBeaver 23.x or newer installed.
• A working JDBC connection to the target database (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server).
• Sufficient privileges to read the schema’s tables and foreign‑key metadata.

Procedure

1. Open the diagram view
   • In the Database Navigator, expand the connection, right‑click the schema you want to document, and choose View Diagram (shortcut Ctrl+Shift+D).
   • DBeaver reverse‑engineers all declared foreign keys and draws a graphical model.
2. Focus on relevant tables (optional)
   • Use the Filter by name field above the diagram to show only tables matching a pattern (e.g., order*).
   • Alternatively, hold Shift and click tables to select a subset, then right‑choose Show only selected tables.
3. Adjust layout
   • Toolbar → Auto Layout → choose Horizontal, Vertical, or Radial based on the shape you prefer.
   • For fine‑tuning, drag tables to reposition them; relationship lines will follow.
   • To increase canvas size before export, open File → Page Setup → Custom size and set width/height that accommodates long names.
4. Export the diagram
   • Toolbar → Export → select format:
   • PNG for quick raster previews.
   • SVG or PDF for scalable, high‑quality documentation.
   • GraphML if you intend to import the diagram into yEd, Gephi, or similar tools.
   • In the export dialog, ensure Export background is unchecked if you need a transparent background (SVG/PDF).
5. Save the diagram file for version control
   • Toolbar → Save Diagram → choose a location inside your DBeaver project folder.
   • The file receives the extension .dbeaver-diagram and stores the absolute coordinates of each table and line.
   • Commit this file to Git; treat it as binary (or use a diagram‑review workflow) to avoid merge conflicts.

Expected checks

• After step 1, verify that all tables with foreign‑key relationships appear as boxes connected by lines.
• After applying an auto‑layout (step 3), confirm that no tables overlap and that the direction of arrows matches the expected parent‑child direction.
• After exporting SVG (step 4), open the file in a web browser; zoom in to ensure text remains crisp and no names are truncated.
• After saving and reopening the .dbeaver-diagram file (step 5), the layout should match exactly what you saved.

Recovery options

• If the auto‑layout produces an unsatisfactory arrangement, use Edit → Undo (or Ctrl+Z) to revert to the previous layout.
• To return to the original reverse‑engineered view, close the diagram tab and re‑open it via View Diagram again.
• If the exported file is missing content, re‑open the diagram, increase the canvas size via Page Setup, and repeat the export.