Editing Microsoft Visio (section)

== Features ==
Microsoft Visio is used to create diagram types such as [[flowcharts]], [[organizational chart|org charts]], [[floor plans]], [[network diagram]]s, [[UML|UML diagrams]], [[mind map]]s and more. It is also commonly used for scenarios such as [[Process Mapping]] and Visual Collaboration. The latest version of Visio also has [[data visualization]] that allows users to create diagrams from Excel data and also embed Visio diagrams in [[Power BI]] dashboards.

Microsoft made Visio 2013 for Windows available in two editions: Standard and Professional. The Standard and Professional editions share the same interface, but the Professional edition has additional templates for more advanced diagrams and layouts, as well as capabilities intended to make it easy for users to connect their diagrams to data sources and to display their data graphically.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896660 | title = A comparison of Visio Standard and Visio Professional | publisher = Microsoft}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio/FX101757911033.aspx | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080215084426/http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio/FX101757911033.aspx | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2008-02-15 | title = Visio 2007 Edition Comparison | publisher = Microsoft}}</ref> The Professional edition features three additional diagram types, as well as intelligent rules, validation, and subprocess (diagram breakdown).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio/visio-edition-comparison-FX101838162.aspx| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130316064209/http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio/visio-edition-comparison-FX101838162.aspx| url-status = dead| archive-date = 2013-03-16| title = Visio 2010 Edition Comparison | publisher = Microsoft}}</ref> Visio Professional is also offered as an additional component of an [[Office365]] subscription.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://products.office.com/en-us/Visio/microsoft-visio-2013-plans-and-pricing-compare-visio-options | title =  Compare Visio Versions | publisher = Microsoft}}</ref>

On September 22, 2015, Visio 2016 was released alongside [[Microsoft Office 2016]]. A few new features were added, including one-step connectivity to Excel data, information-rights management (IRM) protection for Visio files, modernized shapes for office layout, detailed shapes for site plans, updated shapes for floor plans, modern shapes for home plans, [[Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers|IEEE]]-compliant shapes for electrical diagrams, new range of starter diagrams, and new themes for the Visio interface.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://support.office.com/en-us/article/What-s-new-in-Visio-2016-798f4f39-2833-486b-9ae9-55162672102e?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US | title = What's new in Visio 2016 | publisher = Microsoft}}</ref>

[[Database model|Database modelling]] in Visio revolves around a Database Model Diagram (DMD).<ref>
{{cite book
| last1                 = Filev
| first1                = Andrew
| title                 = Professional UML Using Visual Studio .Net
| date = October 28, 2005
| url                   = https://books.google.com/books?id=IcYAZFz8UE8C
| publisher             = John Wiley & Sons
| publication-date      = 2005
| page                  = 276
| isbn                  = 9780764558757
| access-date            = 2012-12-12
| quote                 = The cornerstone of the Visio Data POroject will be the Database Model Diagram (DMD). [...] The DMD is mainly an Entity Relationship (ER) diagram with project management capabilities.
}}
</ref>

=== File formats ===
{{Infobox
| bodystyle        = width:314px
| title            = Native file formats
| image            = [[File:.vsd icon.svg|x75px]] [[File:.vss icon.svg|x75px]]
| caption          = Icons for <code>.vsdx</code> (left) and <code>.vss</code> (right) files
| label1           = VSD
| data1            = Visio 2003-2010 Drawing
| label2           = VSS
| data2            = Stencil
| label3           = VST
| data3            = Template
| label4           = VDW
| data4            = Web drawing<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Save-diagrams-to-SharePoint-as-Web-drawings-28A3DE08-21A9-4E30-8306-76C33B12F48F|title = Save diagrams to SharePoint as Web drawings}}</ref>
| label5           = VDX
| data5            = XML drawing (Discontinued<ref name="New in 2013" />)
| label6           = VSX
| data6            = XML stencil (Discontinued<ref name="New in 2013" />)
| label7           = VTX
| data7            = XML template (Discontinued<ref name="New in 2013" />)
| label8           = VSDX
| data8            = OPC/XML drawing, Current Visio drawing<ref name="New in 2013" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office/client-developer/visio/introduction-to-the-visio-file-formatvsdx|title = Introduction to the Visio file format (.VSDX)| date=March 10, 2022 }}</ref>
| label9           = VSDM
| data9            = OPC/XML drawing, macro-enabled<ref name="New in 2013" />
| label10          = VSSX
| data10           = OPC/XML stencil<ref name="New in 2013" />
| label11          = VSSM
| data11           = OPC/XML stencil, macro-enabled<ref name="New in 2013" />
| label12          = VSTX
| data12           = OPC/XML template<ref name="New in 2013" />
| label13          = VSTM
| data13           = OPC/XML template, macro-enabled<ref name="New in 2013" />
| label14          = VSL
| data14           = Add-on
}}

All of the previous versions of Visio used VSD, the proprietary binary-file format. Visio 2010 added support for the VDX file format, which is a well-documented [[XML]] Schema-based ("DatadiagramML") format, but still uses VSD by default only.

Visio 2013 drops support for writing VDX files in favor of the new VSDX and VSDM file formats,<ref name="New in 2013" /> and uses them by default. Created based on [[Open Packaging Conventions]] (OPC) standard (ISO 29500, Part 2), a VSDX or VSDM file consists of a group of XML files archived inside a [[Zip (file format)|Zip file]].<ref name="New in 2013">{{cite web|title= What's new for Visio 2013 developers|url= http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/ff767103.aspx#vis15_WhatsNew_NewFF|work= [[MSDN]]|publisher= Microsoft|access-date= 31 March 2013|at= New file format|date= 16 July 2012}}</ref>  VSDX and VSDM files differ only in that VSDM files may contain [[macro (computer science)|macros]].<ref name="New in 2013" /> Since these files are susceptible to [[macro virus]] infection, the program enforces strict security on them.<ref>{{cite web|title= Check for macros that might contain viruses|url= http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio-help/check-for-macros-that-might-contain-viruses-HP085052564.aspx|work= Visio Help|publisher= Microsoft|access-date= 6 April 2013|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130624091854/http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio-help/check-for-macros-that-might-contain-viruses-HP085052564.aspx|archive-date= 24 June 2013}}</ref>

While VSD files use [[Lempel–Ziv–Welch|LZW]]-like [[lossless compression]], VDX is not compressed. Hence, a VDX file typically takes up 3 to 5 times more storage.{{Citation needed|date=March 2013}} VSDX and VSDM files use the same compression as Zip files.

Visio also supports saving files in SVG files, other diagramming files and images. However, images cannot be opened by the program.