Microsoft Visio Professional 2003 Description:

Microsoft Visio Professional 2003 review:
4 stars (Microsoft Visio Professional 2003 Upgrade) - I found this upgrade to install easily and well perform as expected. Help function is good but lack of hard copy manual or availabilty of one is a disappointment.
3 stars (Missing features of previous versions) - Visio 2003 Pro is a good product, but the fact that several key features are gone is the reason for a 3 star rating.



I use Visio 2003 Pro for general diagramming and for informal data modeling and process modeling in the course of developing system requirements. I used the simple data flow model diagram for years in Visio 2000, but 2003 has removed the "model" capabilities; it's just a picture now with no reusable components.



Pluses:

Good screen layout options

Still reverse-engineers databases

Better shape manipulation

Shape transparency



Minuses:

Removed "explorer" and modeling capabilities of Data Flow Model diagram

Does not generate DDL (Data Definition Language) anymore (need Visual Studio)

No longer exports to ERWin ERX files

Does not save to Visio 5 format (only 2002)

Removed Auto-Discovery

Removed a bunch of file converters and import tools



I recommend looking at Microsoft's "What you won't find in Microsoft Office Visio 2003" found at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010857571033.aspx.






5 stars (Does everything but tie your shoelaces for you) - I was able to turn out a complicated flowchart polished enough for professional training purposes in just two hours - despite having never used this kind of software before, and having no assistance whatsoever besides the program's own Help files. Now *that's* ease-of-use.