src/javax/persistence/spi/PersistenceUtil.java

/*******************************************************************************
 * Copyright (c) 1998, 2009 Oracle. All rights reserved. 
 * 
 * This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the 
 * terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0 and Eclipse Distribution License v. 1.0 
 * which accompanies this distribution. 
 * The Eclipse Public License is available at http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html
 * and the Eclipse Distribution License is available at 
 * http://www.eclipse.org/org/documents/edl-v10.php.
 * 
 * Contributors:
 *     dclarke - Java Persistence 2.0 - Proposed Final Draft (March 13, 2009)
 *     		     Specification available from http://jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=317
 *
 * Java(TM) Persistence API, Version 2.0 - EARLY ACCESS
 * This is an implementation of an early-draft specification developed under the 
 * Java Community Process (JCP).  The code is untested and presumed not to be a  
 * compatible implementation of JSR 317: Java(TM) Persistence API, Version 2.0.   
 * We encourage you to migrate to an implementation of the Java(TM) Persistence 
 * API, Version 2.0 Specification that has been tested and verified to be compatible 
 * as soon as such an implementation is available, and we encourage you to retain 
 * this notice in any implementation of Java(TM) Persistence API, Version 2.0 
 * Specification that you distribute.
 ******************************************************************************/
package javax.persistence.spi;

/**
 * Utility interface between the application and the persistence provider(s).
 */
public interface PersistenceUtil {
    /**
     * Determine the load state of a given persistent attribute regardless of
     * the persistence provider that created the containing entity.
     * 
     * @param attributeName
     *            name of attribute whose load state is to be determined
     * @return false if entity's state has not been loaded or if the attribute
     *         state has not been loaded, otherwise true
     */
    public boolean isLoaded(Object entity, String attributeName);

    /**
     * Determine the load state of an entity regardless of the persistence
     * provider that created it. This method can be used to determine the load
     * state of an entity passed as a reference. An entity is considered loaded
     * if all attributes for which FetchType EAGER has been specified have been
     * loaded. The isLoaded(Object, String) method should be used to determine
     * the load state of an attribute. Not doing so might lead to unintended
     * loading of state.
     * 
     * @return false if the entity has not be loaded, otherwise true.
     */
    public boolean isLoaded(Object object);
}