For years, Java developers struggled with object persistence. Then came breakthrough frameworks like Hibernate -- and outstanding books like Hibernate In Action. Hibernate's "object/relational mapping" approach proved so useful that it has powerfully influenced Sun's EJB 3.0. When the authors of Hibernate In Action returned to update their book, they wanted to cover the entire topic of Java persistence. Hence the field's definitive guidebook is now called Java Persistence with Hibernate.
This book is extremely ambitious, and equally successful. First, it's a tutorial that gives you a jump-start using Hibernate 3.2, the Java Persistence API, and EJB 3.0. Next, it's a comprehensive guide to all facets of Hibernate 3.2, basic to advanced: object processing, querying, optimization, application design, and more. Third, it's a comprehensive reference to both Hibernate and Java Persistence: one you'll rely on no matter how experienced you get.
Christian Bauer and Gavin King start by explaining why the "object/relational mismatch" between Java and databases is so troublesome; how mapping solves the problem; and what you need to know about domain models and metadata. Next, you'll drill down to real-world mapping of Java classes and properties to SQL tables and columns, exploring everything Hibernate 3.2 and Java Persistence can do. Bauer and King cover inheritance, collections, integrating legacy database schemas, and (carefully) using advanced techniques such as polymorphic entity associations.
In Part III, they turn to "conversational" object processing: loading and storing data; writing transactional and "conversation-aware" applications; designing and implementing layered Java applications, and more. This section's best practices will be especially helpful. And if you want to go even further, you'll appreciate the authors' introduction to the JBoss Seam framework, the next step towards simplifying Java-based web development. Bill Camarda, from the February 2007 Read Only
