Persistence Terms

Contexts, folders, and directories

A context is what JNDI calls a directory or a folder. Both directory and folder refer to a way of organizing objects. Directory is used more commonly in UNIX systems and in command-line terminology. Folder is used more commonly with graphical interfaces for manipulating objects. Because the persistence service includes a graphical user interface, this document uses folder instead of directory. You will notice, however, that some methods and class names imply directory. It is the same thing as a folder or a context.

A PersistenceManager is a context that has added functionality.

This document uses PersistenceManager, context, and folder interchangeably. Subcontext and subfolder are the same thing, as well.

Objects and components

This document uses object and component interchangeably. A Java component is more complex than an object. However, you will see object as part of names of methods, so this document uses both object and component.