Spring Data JPA vs Spring JDBC Template

In this article, we will learn about the difference between Spring Data JPA vs Spring JDBC Template.

Spring Data JPA

To implement JPA-based repositories, Spring Data JPA, a piece of the Spring Data family, takes out the complexity. With the help of spring data JPA the process of creating Spring-powered applications that support data access technologies.

Spring Data JPA is a very important part of the Spring Data project. It is developed to deliver a higher-level abstraction for the JPA (Java Persistence API). This Java Persistence API i.e., JPA, on the other hand, is a traditional specification used for mapping objects to relational databases in Java applications.

Spring Data JPA has many key features Object-relational mapping (ORM), Automatic Query Generation, Repository Support, and many more. Spring Data JPA helps programmers map database entities to Java objects or vice versa, decreasing the requirement for boilerplate code.

Spring Data JPA automatically develops queries based on method names, making it easy to perform create-read-update-update (CRUD) functions.

For more details, you can refer to this article: Spring Boot – Spring Data JPA article.

Spring JDBC Template

The Spring JDBC Template is a suitable tool that makes it easier to access databases using Java Database Connectivity that is JDBC.

Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) is a majorly used Java API that allows us to connect to databases and execute queries.

Spring JDBC Template has many important key features like Lightweight, Direct SQL Queries, Flexibility and many more. Spring JDBC Template is much lighter and simpler as compared to Spring Data Java Persistence API (JPA) that is because Spring JDBC Template does not have all those complicated and complex abstractions like Object-relational mapping (ORM). Programmers can execute SQL queries instantly with this Direct SQL Queries feature, which gives us huge flexibility for handling tough cases.

There are no restrictions for Programmers when it comes to selecting a SQL database for their requirements. They can opt for any database, regardless of whether it sustains Java Persistence API(JPA) or not.

For more details, you can refer to this article: Spring – JDBC Template article.

Difference between Spring Data JPA and Spring JDBC Template

Parameter	Spring Data JPA	Spring JDBC Template
Level of Abstraction	High, due to abstract complexity	Lower, straight work with JDBC
Object-relational mapping (ORM) Support	Complete support of ORM	No support of ORM
Performance	Slower, because of the overhead of ORM	Faster, because of the direct integration of database
Mapping of the Object	Manually	Automatically
Caching	Build-in support	No, build-in support.
Control And Customization	Less control over SQL	Complete control over SQL
Flexibility	Restricted, Limited to JPA database	Supports any SQL database.
Database Compatibility	Limited	Consistent with any database which has JDBC driver.
Way of Handing SQL	Manually	Automatically

Similarities between Spring Data JPA and Spring JDBC Template

Despite having multiple differences between Spring Data JPA and Spring JDBC Template, they have many similarities as well.

• Spring Data JPA and Spring JDBC Template These two belong to a part of the same Spring ecosystem and are made to seamlessly combine with other Spring modules like Spring Security, MVC, and Spring Boot. This integration guarantees that the composition and behaviour remain the same across other Spring features. i.e., they both have similar spring framework integration.
• Spring Data JPA and Spring JDBC Template both have the same objective of making database interchange processes easier. Spring Data JPA performs this by using an Object-relational mapping(ORM) layer, whereas Spring JDBC Template facilitates the direct use of JDBC.
• Both Spring Data JPA and Spring JDBC Template have strong community and support structures, having Papers, documents, and many multiple resources.
• As far as Data Source Configuration is concerned, both Spring Data JPA and Spring JDBC Template rely on having a data source configured in the Spring context. This data source serves as the primary link to the database, and the setup process is quite similar for both. I.e. similarities in Data Source Configuration as well.

FAQs on Spring Data JPA vs Spring JDBC Template

1. How difficult is it to change from Spring JDBC Template to Spring Data JPA later in the project?

This can be very hard to switch between different data access approaches, especially when we are dealing with Spring Data JPA. Spring Data JPA framework involves an Object-relational mapping (ORM).

2. Can we use Spring Data JPA or Spring JDBC Template with NoSQL databases?

Spring Data JPA is specially designed to work with SQL using Java Persistence API (JPA). However, if we are dealing with NoSQL, it is always good to think of using other Spring Data projects like Spring Data MongoDB. However, it’s not the right fit for NoSQL databases. If we are dealing with SQL, Spring JDBC Template is a great tool to have.

3. Is it true that Spring Data JPA is slower than Spring JDBC Template?

They both are not only looking at performance, but it’s also important to prioritize the project requirements when making any move. because of The ORM in Spring Data JPA which might cause a bit of extra work.

4. Explain the working of caching in Spring Data JPA?

By The help of Spring Data JPA, we can take the benefit of JPA’s caching tools, e.g. first level and second-level caches, to increases the performance. Furthermore, this first-level and second level has their own key features like Automatic Operation, Entity Management and Session Scope etc. in first level, and as far as second-level is concerned it also has many features like Cache Regions, Provider Selection etc.