Quote Originally Posted by Hack View Post
Moved To General Developer

No one designs databases using VB6 (or VB anything else for that matter). VB whatever only comes into play after the database is designed, built, and ready to be used.

In my experience, the best tools for designing a database is a piece of paper and a pencil (although markers and a whiteboard also work pretty well .)

Once the design is worked out and finalized, then actually creating the database with whatever tools the DB platform you have chosen provides is fairly quick and easy.
Wanted to just add something to this. VS2010 will have Model first support for the Entity Framework where you can design the database in the IDE and then build the DB from that. Just thought it was an important note to mention about how database desing and programming is getting easier and easier all the become blended together.

Now for what is best now. Either Power Designer if you can afford it or Power Architect which is free are good ways to desing a database. We currrently use Power Designer and it is a magnificant tool.