DB Specification Export

Generate professional database specification documents from your diagram. Ainecto supports three output formats — HTML, Excel, and PDF — each tailored for a different audience and workflow.

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How to export

1. Open the Export menu in the header toolbar
2. Select Specification
3. Choose a format: HTML, Excel, or PDF

The export covers every entity in your current diagram: tables, columns, indexes, relationships, and enums.

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HTML specification

The HTML export produces a standalone document that opens in any browser without dependencies.

Contents:

Section	Details
Diagram summary	Diagram name, table count, relationship count
Tables	One section per table — column name, type, nullable, default, primary key, note
Indexes	Index name, columns, unique flag, type
Relationships	From table → to table, columns, relationship type, ON DELETE / ON UPDATE
Enums	Enum name, values, notes

The document uses internal anchor links so you can jump between tables and their related entities.

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Excel specification

The Excel export generates a structured workbook with six sheets:

Sheet	Content
Summary	Diagram metadata — name, description, total counts
Tables	Table name, schema, alias, note, column count
Columns	Table, column name, type, nullable, default, PK, note
Relationships	From table.column → to table.column, type, ON DELETE, ON UPDATE
Indexes	Table, index name, columns, unique, type
Enums	Enum name, values, value notes

Styling is applied automatically:

• Header row — blue background with white text
• Alternating rows — striped for readability
• Primary keys — highlighted with bold formatting
• Column widths auto-fit to content

The file is ready for sharing via email, Confluence, or any document management system.

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PDF specification

The PDF workflow opens the HTML specification in a new browser window, where you can use the browser's built-in print function to save as PDF.

Steps:

1. Select Specification → PDF
2. A new window opens with the rendered HTML document
3. Press Ctrl+P (or Cmd+P on macOS)
4. Choose Save as PDF as the destination
5. Adjust page settings (orientation, margins) as needed
6. Click Save

This approach gives you full control over page layout and margins without requiring a server-side PDF engine.

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Use cases

Scenario	Recommended format
Share with non-technical stakeholders	HTML — self-contained, opens anywhere
Attach to project documentation or wiki	Excel — easy to filter, sort, and annotate
Include in formal deliverables or audits	PDF — fixed layout, print-ready
Quick internal review	HTML — fastest to generate and browse
Data dictionary maintenance	Excel — editable, integrates with existing spreadsheets

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Tips

• Keep your notes up to date — the specification includes table and column notes, so well-written notes produce better documentation automatically.
• Use schema names — if you organize tables into schemas, the export groups them accordingly.
• Re-export after changes — specifications are point-in-time snapshots. Re-export whenever the schema evolves.