Chapter 1. Introduction
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## Chapter 1. Introduction

The Java Persistence API (JPA) is a specification for the persistence of Java objects to any relational datastore. This document provides an overview of JPA 2.2. Unless otherwise noted, the information presented applies to all JPA implementations.

### Note

For coverage of OpenJPA's many extensions to the JPA specification, see the Reference Guide.

## 1. Intended Audience

This document is intended for developers who want to learn about JPA in order to use it in their applications. It assumes that you have a strong knowledge of object-oriented concepts and Java, including annotations and generics. It also assumes some experience with relational databases and the Structured Query Language (SQL).

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