Question

This question is somewhat related to Hibernate Annotation Placement Question.

But I want to know which is better? Access via properties or access via fields? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Answer 1

I prefer accessors, since I can add some business logic to my accessors whenever I need. Here’s an example:

@Entity public class Person {    @Column('nickName')   public String getNickName(){      if(this.name != null) return generateFunnyNick(this.name);      else return 'John Doe';   } } 

Besides, if you throw another libs into the mix (like some JSON-converting lib or BeanMapper or Dozer or other bean mapping/cloning lib based on getter/setter properties) you’ll have the guarantee that the lib is in sync with the persistence manager (both use the getter/setter).