The Java Persistence API

One of the problems of using JDBC APIs directly is that you have to constantly map the data between Java objects and the data in columns or rows in the relational database. Frameworks such as Hibernate and Spring have made this process simpler by using a concept known as Object Relational Mapping (ORM). ORM is incorporated in JEE in the form of the Java Persistence API (JPA).

JPA gives you the flexibility to map objects to tables in the relational database and execute queries with or without using Structured Query Language (SQL). When used in the content of JPA, the query language is called Java Persistence Query Language. JPA specification 2.2 is a part of JEE8.