26 Understanding Descriptors

TopLink uses descriptors to store the information that describes how an instance of a particular class can be represented by a data source. Descriptors own mappings that associate class instance variables with a data source and transformation routines that are used to store and retrieve values. As such, the descriptor acts as the connection between a Java object and its data source representation.

This chapter includes information on the following:

• Descriptor Types

• Descriptor Concepts

• Understanding the Descriptor API