Development Process
Hibernate is process-agnositic. An XML mapping document decouples your Java object model from the underlying database schema and model. Alternatively you can use XDoclet or EJB3/JSR-220 persistence annotations to define your mapping metadata.
Any of the following development scenarios are supported:
Top down
- implement a Java (JavaBeans) object model
- write a mapping document by hand, or generate it from XDoclet tags, or use JDK 5.0 annotations
- export the database tables using the hbm2ddl (SchemaExport) tool
Bottom up
- start with an existing data model
- use the Hibernate Tools to generate the mapping documents (or annotated Java source)
- use the hbm2java (CodeGenerator) tool to generate skeletal Java code
- fill in the business logic by hand
Middle out
- express your conceptual object model directly as a mapping document
- use the hbm2java tool to generate skeletal Java code
- fill in the business logic by hand
- export the database tables using the hbm2ddl tool
Meet in the middle
- start with an existing data model and existing Java classes
- write a mapping document to adapt between the two models (you may require some minor refactorings of the object and / or data models)
