Using the iBATOR eclipse plugin for iBATIS code generation

This tutorial explains how to use the iBATOR eclipse plugin 1.2.0 for iBATIS.

iBATOR is a code generator for iBATIS. iBATOR will introspect one or more database table and will generate iBATIS artifacts that can be used to access the tables.

iBATOR will generate the following artifacts :

- SqlMapXML files (XML files used by iBATIS to map objects and data).
- Java model classes (Match the fields of the table).
- Dao classes (Implements the CRUD operations).

You will still need to hand code SQL and objects for custom queries, or stored procedures.

But what happen to your custom SQL queries when you re-launch iBATOR. Don't worry, any hand coded additions to generated Java classes or SqlMap files will remain undisturbed. The eclipse plugin will merge Java and XML Files.

Let's start,

1. First of all, install the ibator plugin for eclipse using the update site http://ibatis.apache.org/tools/ibator

2. Create a simple java project named ibator. if you have multiple projects, it's a good practice to isolate the ibator generation part. Since I use iBATOR in a pretty big financial project, I have multiple maven module like project-persistence, project-core, project-server, etc... I generate the DAO classes in the persistence project and the domain objects in the core project. If you are, like me, writing some customs plugins for iBATOR, you can put these classes in the ibator project and not polluting your other projects.

3. Right click on your new ibator project and if the plugin is correctly installed, you'll see the entry 'Add iBATOR to the build path'. Click on it.

4. Create the configuration file ibatorConfig.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE ibatorConfiguration
  PUBLIC "-//Apache Software Foundation//DTD Apache iBATIS Ibator Configuration 1.0//EN"
  "http://ibatis.apache.org/dtd/ibator-config_1_0.dtd">

<ibatorConfiguration>
<ibatorContext 
  id="ibatorContext" 
  targetRuntime="Ibatis2Java5" 
  defaultModelType="flat">

<ibatorPlugin type="org.apache.ibatis.ibator.plugins.SerializablePlugin"/>

<jdbcConnection 
  driverClass="oracle.jdbc.driver.OracleDriver"
  connectionURL="jdbc:oracle:thin:@host:1521:dbname"
  userId="user" 
  password="password">
</jdbcConnection>

<javaModelGenerator targetPackage="com.yourcompany.vo"
  targetProject="yourEclipseProject">
  <property name="enableSubPackages" value="true" />
  <property name="trimStrings" value="true" />
</javaModelGenerator>

<sqlMapGenerator targetPackage="com.yourcompany.dao.ibatis.ibatis.maps"
  targetProject="yourEclipseProject">
  <property name="enableSubPackages" value="true" />
</sqlMapGenerator>

<daoGenerator type="SPRING" 
targetPackage="com.yourcompany.dao"
implementationPackage="com.yourcompany.dao.ibatis.impl"
targetProject="yourEclipseProject">
  <property name="enableSubPackages" value="true" />
  <property name="methodNameCalculator" value="extended" />
</daoGenerator>

<table tableName="MY_TABLE" domainObjectName="yourObject">

</ibatorContext>
</ibatorConfiguration>

I use some special properties in this file. To fully understand the configuration file, see the online documentation.

5. Create a build.xml file at the root of your ibator project.

<project default="runIbator">
  
<target name="runIbator">
  <eclipse.convertPath resourcepath="ibator/resources/ibatorConfig.xml" property="thePath"/>
  <ibator.generate configfile="${thePath}" ></ibator.generate>
</target>
 
</project>

6. Create a lib directory and put your ojdbc jar in it.

7. Create an external tool to run ibator. Go to Run/External tools/External tools configuration... and create a new Ant build configuration. In the main tab, select your build.xml file in the buildfile part. Add your ojdbc jar file in the classpath tab. In the JRE tab, tick 'Run in the same JRE as the workspace'.

8. Run the tool.

Another way would be to use the 'Generate Ibatis artifacts' instead of an external tool when you right click on your project. The problem is, in that case, you don't have any control over the classpath. Since I create custom plugins for iBATOR, I need to add these classes to the classpath.

To conclude, iBATOR is a great tool if you manage to make it work. It can save you a lot of time at the beginning of a project generating all the DAOs and the domain objects.