Welcome Screen

The Welcome Screen opens when DbSchema starts, before any model is open. From here you start a new model, reopen a saved one, see your license, or open a sample to learn.

The Welcome Screen with the Start New tab open, Connect to Database selected and the PostgreSQL tile chosen

A model is a DbSchema project. It holds the schema and its diagrams, and it is saved as a .dbs file. The screen has four tabs: Start New, Reopen, Licensing and Learn.

Connect to a database

Connect when you already have a database. DbSchema reads its schema and shows it as diagrams.

  1. In Start New, choose Connect to Database.
  2. Click the tile of your database. Type in Search databases to find one that is not in the first rows.
  3. On the right, choose New Connection, or a connection you saved before.
  4. Press Connect.

The screenshot above shows this tab, with PostgreSQL chosen and one saved connection on the right. The connection dialog that opens next is described in Connect to a database.

Design a new schema from scratch

Design from scratch when the database does not exist yet. You draw the tables first and create them in a database later.

  1. In Start New, choose Design from Scratch.
  2. Click the database you design for. Choose Logical Design if you want to decide later.
  3. Press Start Design.
The Start New tab with Design from Scratch selected and the Logical Design tile chosen

DbSchema opens a new, empty model. Nothing reaches a database until you connect and deploy the model. Saving the model to a file needs DbSchema Pro, and logical design needs DbSchema Architect.

Import a model from a file

Import when you have a script of CREATE TABLE statements, or data files, but no database.

  1. In Start New, choose Import from File.
  2. Press Browse... and pick an .sql, .csv, .xml, .json or Excel file.
  3. Click the database of the new model.
  4. Press Import.
The Start New tab with Import from File selected, the file box and the Browse button above the database tiles

DbSchema builds a model from the file. Your database is not touched.

Reopen a saved model

The Reopen tab lists the models you opened before, with their folder and the date you last opened them.

  1. Open the Reopen tab.
  2. Click a model in the list, or press Open a design file... to pick a .dbs file.
The Reopen tab with the Open a design file button

A model opens without a database connection. Connect later from the Database menu.

Try DbSchema with a sample project

A sample project comes with a small built-in database, so there is nothing to install.

  1. At the bottom of Start New, press Sample Projects. The Learn tab has the same button.
  2. Choose a sample from the list.

The first time, DbSchema downloads the samples from dbschema.com. Then it lists them.

See your trial or license

The Licensing tab shows what your installation runs: the trial, a license, or the free Community edition.

The Licensing tab showing Architect Trial active with 14 days left, Purchase a License and Register License
  • Architect Trial active: all features are on, and the card counts the days left.
  • Purchase a License: opens the purchase page in your browser.
  • Register License: enter a license key, or sign in with your DbSchema account.

When a license no longer covers this version, the tab offers Renew the License and Download an Earlier Version instead. See Licensing for the editions and the license types.

Learn DbSchema

The Learn tab collects the ways to get to know DbSchema.

The Learn tab with Quick Tour, Sample Projects, Video Tutorials and Documentation
  • Quick Tour: slides about the main features.
  • Sample Projects: the samples described above.
  • Video Tutorials: short videos on YouTube, one feature each.
  • Documentation: these pages.

Set a proxy before you connect

If your network reaches the internet through a proxy, set it before DbSchema downloads a JDBC driver. Press Proxy & Settings at the bottom of Start New. See Firewall, proxy and SSH tunnel.

The menu bar of the Welcome Screen has the rest:

  • Git → Clone Repository: get a model that your team keeps in Git.
  • View: UI Scale, Language and Theme.
  • Help: Report a Bug, Output Logs, JDBC Drivers Manager, Register License and About DbSchema.

Next steps