EclipseLink
Encyclopedia
EclipseLink is the open source Eclipse Persistence Services Project from the Eclipse Foundation
. The software provides an extensible framework that allows Java developers to interact with various data services, including databases, web services, Object XML mapping (OXM), and Enterprise Information System
s (EIS). EclipseLink supports a number of persistence standards including:
EclipseLink is based on the TopLink
product from which Oracle
contributed the source code to create the EclipseLink project. The original contribution was from TopLink's 11g code base, and the entire code-base/feature set was contributed, with only EJB
2 Container-Managed Persistence (CMP) and some minor Oracle Application Server specific integration removed. This differs from the TopLink Essentials GlassFish
contribution, which did not include some key enterprise features. The package names were changed and some of the code and configuration was moved around.
The TopLink Mapping Workbench user interface has also been contributed to the project.
EclipseLink is the intended path forward for persistence for Oracle and TopLink. It is intended that the next major release of Oracle TopLink will include EclipseLink as well as the next major release of Oracle AS.
EclipseLink supports usage in an OSGi
environment.
Sun Microsystems
has selected the EclipseLink project to be the reference implementation
for JPA 2.0.
Eclipse Foundation
The Eclipse Foundation is a not-for-profit, member supported corporation that hosts the open-source Eclipse Projects and helps cultivate both an open source community and an ecosystem of complementary products and services...
. The software provides an extensible framework that allows Java developers to interact with various data services, including databases, web services, Object XML mapping (OXM), and Enterprise Information System
Enterprise Information System
An Enterprise Information System is generally any kind of computing system that is of "enterprise class". This means typically offering high quality of service, dealing with large volumes of data and capable of supporting some large organization .Enterprise Information Systems provide a technology...
s (EIS). EclipseLink supports a number of persistence standards including:
- Java Persistence APIJava Persistence APIThe Java Persistence API, sometimes referred to as JPA, is a Java programming language framework managing relational data in applications using Java Platform, Standard Edition and Java Platform, Enterprise Edition....
(JPA) - Java Architecture for XML BindingJava Architecture for XML BindingJava Architecture for XML Binding allows Java developers to map Java classes to XML representations. JAXB provides two main features: the ability to marshal Java objects into XML and the inverse, i.e. to unmarshal XML back into Java objects...
(JAXB) - Java Connector ArchitectureJava EE Connector ArchitectureJava EE Connector Architecture is a Java-based technology solution for connecting application servers and enterprise information systems as part of enterprise application integration solutions. While JDBC is specifically used to connect Java EE applications to databases, JCA is a more generic...
(JCA) - Service Data ObjectsService Data ObjectsService Data Objects is a technology that allows heterogeneous data to be accessed in a uniform way. The SDO specification was originally developed in 2004 as a joint collaboration between BEA and IBM and approved by the Java Community Process...
(SDO).
EclipseLink is based on the TopLink
TopLink
In computing, TopLink is an object-relational mapping package for Java developers. It provides a framework for storing Java objects in a relational database or for converting Java objects to XML documents....
product from which Oracle
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
contributed the source code to create the EclipseLink project. The original contribution was from TopLink's 11g code base, and the entire code-base/feature set was contributed, with only EJB
Enterprise JavaBean
Enterprise JavaBeans is a managed, server-side component architecture for modular construction of enterprise applications.The EJB specification is one of several Java APIs in the Java EE specification. EJB is a server-side model that encapsulates the business logic of an application...
2 Container-Managed Persistence (CMP) and some minor Oracle Application Server specific integration removed. This differs from the TopLink Essentials GlassFish
GlassFish
GlassFish is an open source application server project started by Sun Microsystems for the Java EE platform and now sponsored by Oracle Corporation. The supported version is called Oracle GlassFish Server...
contribution, which did not include some key enterprise features. The package names were changed and some of the code and configuration was moved around.
The TopLink Mapping Workbench user interface has also been contributed to the project.
EclipseLink is the intended path forward for persistence for Oracle and TopLink. It is intended that the next major release of Oracle TopLink will include EclipseLink as well as the next major release of Oracle AS.
EclipseLink supports usage in an OSGi
OSGi
The Open Services Gateway initiative framework is a module system and service platform for the Java programming language that implements a complete and dynamic component model, something that does not exist in standalone Java/VM environments...
environment.
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
has selected the EclipseLink project to be the reference implementation
Reference implementation
In the software development process, a reference implementation is the standard from which all other implementations, with their attendant customizations, are measured, and to which all improvements are added...
for JPA 2.0.
Webinar
- EclipseLink Project and its Persistence Services by Doug ClarkeDoug ClarkeDouglas "Doug" Clarke is an English former footballer who played for Darwen, Bury, Hull City, Torquay United and Bath City.-References:...
- Developing Java Persistence API Applications with the NetBeans IDE and EclipseLink by Andrei Badea and Doug Clarke at JavaOne 2008
External links
- EclipseLink Home
- EclipseLink Wiki
- Java Persistence API (JPA) with EclipseLink Tutorial by Lars Vogel
- EclipseLink Newsgroup
- EclipseLink Nabble Forum
- Introducing EclipseLink by Doug Clarke and Shaun Smith
- Testing Java EE 6 components : JPA 2.0 With Eclipse Link by Antonio Goncalves
- Interview with EclipseLink-Lead Doug Clarke