Poor Man's Data Dictionary: Document your database quickly, cheaply and painlessly

Back in the day, people would tie one end of a piece of string to a child's loose tooth, the other end to a door knob, and then slam the door shut. Most programmers believe that documenting a database is just as painful, but it doesn't have to be.

The reason I created my own data dictionary process at work is simple: there were just too many databases, too many tables and too many columns to keep everything straight in my brain. Do I use this table or that view and what's the difference between them? What's the definition of that column and why am I not using this other column instead? It had become a nightmare and something needed to be done…quickly!

This book outlines the process the author and his colleagues successfully went through to create a data dictionary for every database within our small company. While the author cannot guarantee that the steps outlined herein will be a rousing success in your company, at least it can serve as a starting point for the creation of your own data dictionary process.