= BlobJpaEmbeddable
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A utility class to enable the persisting of xref:refguide:applib:index/value/Blob.adoc[Blob] s.

Although JPA supports custom value types, these can only be for simple values; seeeclipse-ee4j/jpa-api/issues/105.

EclipseLink _does_ provide its own extension,Transformation API, but there's a lot of boilerplate involved even so.

This class provides support for an alternative approach, where the Causeway xref:refguide:applib:index/value/Blob.adoc[Blob] is marshalled in and out of this class.

Example usage:

----
    @Embedded
    private BlobJpaEmbeddable pdf;

    @Property()
    @PropertyLayout()
    public Blob getPdf() {
        return BlobJpaEmbeddable.toBlob(pdf);
    }
    public void setPdf(final Blob pdf) {
        this.pdf = BlobJpaEmbeddable.fromBlob(pdf);
    }
   
----

Lastly; note that _javax.persistence.AttributeOverrides_ and _javax.persistence.AttributeOverride_ provide a standardised way of fine-tuning the column definitions.

== API

[source,java]
.BlobJpaEmbeddable.java
----
class BlobJpaEmbeddable {
  BlobJpaEmbeddable fromBlob(Blob blob)     // <.>
  Blob toBlob(BlobJpaEmbeddable blobJpaEmbeddable)     // <.>
  Blob asBlob()
  String toString()
  boolean equals(Object o)
  int hashCode()
}
----

<.> xref:#fromBlob_Blob[fromBlob(Blob)]
+
--
Factory method to marshall a xref:refguide:applib:index/value/Blob.adoc[Blob] into a xref:refguide:persistence:index/jpa/applib/types/BlobJpaEmbeddable.adoc[BlobJpaEmbeddable]
--
<.> xref:#toBlob_BlobJpaEmbeddable[toBlob(BlobJpaEmbeddable)]
+
--
Reciprocal method to marshall a xref:refguide:persistence:index/jpa/applib/types/BlobJpaEmbeddable.adoc[BlobJpaEmbeddable] into a xref:refguide:applib:index/value/Blob.adoc[Blob]
--

== Members

[#fromBlob_Blob]
=== fromBlob(Blob)

Factory method to marshall a xref:refguide:applib:index/value/Blob.adoc[Blob] into a xref:refguide:persistence:index/jpa/applib/types/BlobJpaEmbeddable.adoc[BlobJpaEmbeddable]

[#toBlob_BlobJpaEmbeddable]
=== toBlob(BlobJpaEmbeddable)

Reciprocal method to marshall a xref:refguide:persistence:index/jpa/applib/types/BlobJpaEmbeddable.adoc[BlobJpaEmbeddable] into a xref:refguide:applib:index/value/Blob.adoc[Blob]
