Jakarta Persistence (JPA) Annotation Type

jakarta.persistence.JoinColumn

Implemented Interfaces:
Annotation
Target:
Method, Field
Specifies a column for joining an entity association or element collection. If the JoinColumn annotation itself is defaulted, a single join column is assumed and the default values apply.

Example: 

 @ManyToOne
 @JoinColumn(name = "ADDR_ID")
 public Address getAddress() { return address; }

Example: unidirectional one-to-many association using a foreign key mapping 

 // In Customer class
 @OneToMany
 @JoinColumn(name = "CUST_ID") // join column is in the table for Order
 public Set getOrders() { return orders; }
See Also:
Since:
Jakarta Persistence (JPA) 1.0

Annotation Elements

String name
(Optional) The name of the foreign key column.

The table in which this column is found depends on the context.

  • If the join is for a OneToOne or ManyToOne mapping using a foreign key mapping strategy, the foreign key column is in the table of the source entity or embeddable.
  • If the join is for a unidirectional OneToMany mapping using a foreign key mapping strategy, the foreign key is in the table of the target entity.
  • If the join is for a ManyToMany mapping or for a OneToOne or bidirectional ManyToOne/OneToMany mapping using a join table, the foreign key is in a join table.
  • If the join is for an ElementCollection, the foreign key is in a collection table.

Default (only applies if a single join column is used): The concatenation of the following: the name of the referencing relationship property or field of the referencing entity or embeddable class; "_"; the name of the referenced primary key column. If there is no such referencing relationship property or field in the entity, or if the join is for an element collection, the join column name is formed as the concatenation of the following: the name of the entity; "_"; the name of the referenced primary key column.

Default:
""
Since:
Jakarta Persistence (JPA) 1.0

String referencedColumnName
(Optional) The name of the column referenced by this foreign key column.
  • When used with entity relationship mappings other than the cases described here, the referenced column is in the table of the target entity.
  • When used with a unidirectional OneToMany foreign key mapping, the referenced column is in the table of the source entity.
  • When used inside a JoinTable annotation, the referenced key column is in the entity table of the owning entity, or inverse entity if the join is part of the inverse join definition.
  • When used in a CollectionTable mapping, the referenced column is in the table of the entity containing the collection.

Default (only applies if single join column is being used): The same name as the primary key column of the referenced table.

Default:
""
Since:
Jakarta Persistence (JPA) 1.0

boolean unique
(Optional) Whether the property is a unique key.
This is a shortcut for the UniqueConstraint annotation at the table level and is useful for when the unique key constraint is only a single field. It is not necessary to explicitly specify this for a join column that corresponds to a primary key that is part of a foreign key.
Default:
false
Since:
Jakarta Persistence (JPA) 1.0
boolean nullable
(Optional) Whether the foreign key column is nullable.
Default:
true
Since:
Jakarta Persistence (JPA) 1.0
boolean insertable
(Optional) Whether the column is included in SQL INSERT statements generated by the persistence provider.
Default:
true
Since:
Jakarta Persistence (JPA) 1.0
boolean updatable
(Optional) Whether the column is included in SQL UPDATE statements generated by the persistence provider.
Default:
true
Since:
Jakarta Persistence (JPA) 1.0
String columnDefinition
(Optional) The SQL fragment that is used when generating the DDL for the column.

Defaults to the generated SQL for the column.

Default:
""
Since:
Jakarta Persistence (JPA) 1.0

String options
(Optional) A SQL fragment appended to the generated DDL which declares this column.
May not be used in conjunction with columnDefinition .
Default:
""
Since:
Jakarta Persistence (JPA) 3.2
String table
(Optional) The name of the table that contains the column.
If a table is not specified, the column is assumed to be in the primary table of the applicable entity.

Default:

  • If the join is for a OneToOne or ManyToOne mapping using a foreign key mapping strategy, the name of the table of the source entity or embeddable.
  • If the join is for a unidirectional OneToMany mapping using a foreign key mapping strategy, the name of the table of the target entity.
  • If the join is for a ManyToMany mapping or for a OneToOne or bidirectional ManyToOne/OneToMany mapping using a join table, the name of the join table.
  • If the join is for an element collection, the name of the collection table.
Default:
""
Since:
Jakarta Persistence (JPA) 1.0

ForeignKey foreignKey
(Optional) Used to specify or control the generation of a foreign key constraint when table generation is in effect.
If this element is not specified, a default foreign key strategy is selected by the persistence provider.
Default:
@ForeignKey(PROVIDER_DEFAULT)
Since:
Jakarta Persistence (JPA) 2.1
CheckConstraint[] check
(Optional) Check constraints to be applied to the column.
These are only used if table generation is in effect.
Default:
{}
Since:
Jakarta Persistence (JPA) 3.2
String comment
(Optional) A comment to be applied to the column.
This is only used if table generation is in effect.
Default:
""
Since:
Jakarta Persistence (JPA) 3.2

Additional JDK methods inherited from java.lang.annotation.Annotation

annotationType(), equals(Object), hashCode(), toString()