Skip to main content

Entity

Imagine you have a database table, like a spreadsheet used to keep track of Products. Each row in this spreadsheet is a specific product, and the columns represent its details (like ProductID, Name, Price, Description).

What Is an Entity Class?​

An Entity class serves as a Java representation of a single row within a database table

  • Think of an Entity class in your Java code as a blueprint or a template. This blueprint precisely matches the structure of that Products database table (or spreadsheet).
  • So, for the Products table, you would create a class in Java named Product.
  • Inside this Product class, you'd have variables (often called fields or properties) that directly correspond to the columns in the table: a variable for productId, another for name, one for price, and so on.

Role in the Repository Pattern​

  • The Entity (Product class) defines what your data looks like when represented in Java, mirroring a database table's structure.
  • The Repository (ProductRepository) defines how you manage and interact with that data (saving, finding, deleting) stored in the database, always working with the Entity blueprint.

This separation keeps your code organized and easier to manage. Your main application logic can focus on working with straightforward Java Product objects, while the Repository takes care of the underlying database operations, hiding that complexity.