EclipseLink/UserGuide/JPA/Advanced JPA Development/Schema Generation/Index

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This page is now obsolete.

For current information, please see "@Index" in the Java Persistence API (JPA) Extensions Reference for EclipseLink: http://eclipse.org/eclipselink/documentation/latest/jpa/extensions/a_index.htm

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Key API

• @Index

Native API

• IndexDefinition

@Index

An index is a database structure defined for a table, to improve query and look-up performance for a set of columns. Use the @Index annotation in code or the <index> element in the eclipselink-orm.xml descriptor to create an index on a table.

An index can be defined on an entity or on an attribute. For the entity it must define a set of columns to index.

Index creation is database specific. Some databases may not support indexes. Most databases auto-index primary key and foriegn key columns. Some databases support advanced index DDL options. To create more advanced index DDL, a DDL script or native query can be used.

@Index Attributes

Attribute	Description	Default	Required?
catalog	The catalog of the INDEX.	Default catalog	No
columnNames	Specify the set of columns to define the index on.	For an Entity , the table. For an attribute, the table and column.	Not required when annotated on a field or method.
name	The name of the INDEX.	<table>_<column>_INDEX (but a name should be provided)	No
schema	The schema of the INDEX.	Default schema	No
table	The table to define the index on, defaults to entities primary table.	The entity's primary table.	No
unique	Specify whether the index is unique or non-unique.	false	No

This example defines three indexes, one on first name, one on last name, and a multiple column index on first name and last name.

 
@Entity
@Index(name="EMP_NAME_INDEX", columns={"F_NAME","L_NAME"})
public class Employee{
    @Id
    private long id;
    @Index
    @Column(name="F_NAME")
    private String firstName;
    @Index
    @Column(name="L_NAME")
    private String lastName;
    ...
}

You can also create an index in the eclipselink-orm.xml descriptor using <index>, as shown in the following example. Define columns using the <column> subelement. All the attributes supported in the @Index annotation are also supported in the <index> element.

<index name="EMP_NAME_INDEX" table="EMPLOYEE" unique="true">
    <column>F_NAME</column>
    <column>L_NAME</column>
</index>

Version: 2.2.0 DRAFT
Other versions...

@CascadeOnDelete	Schema Generation	Appending Strings to CREATE TABLE Statements
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