This book can be read in several ways, depending on your inclination. If you wish to start with real-world examples and then move into general usage and theory, you can more or less read the book in order. If you prefer a higher-level introduction, you may wish to start with Chapters 6 through 9 and then return to the beginning. Regardless of the method you choose, I encourage you to download and work through the examples from http://www.cascadetg.com/hibernate/.
Chapter 1 introduces Hibernate. It compares Hibernate to other forms of database access, including JDBC and a variety of other tools. It concludes with a list of required files and where to obtain them.
Chapter 2 illustrates an example of development starting with a Hibernate mapping file. The mapping file is used to generate Java and database schema files.
Chapter 3 shows how to use Hibernate when starting from a Java source file. XDoclet is used to generate the mapping file, and Hibernate is used to generate the database schema.
Chapter 4 shows how to use Middlegen in conjunction with Hibernate when starting from an existing database schema.
Chapter 5 is a reference to the Hibernate mapping file format. While few readers will want to read this chapter from start to finish, this reference will hopefully prove invaluable on a day-to-day basis when using Hibernate.
Chapter 6 contains information on the general use of Hibernate, including basic operations such as creating, finding, refreshing, updating, and deleting objects.
Chapter 7 explains how Hibernate handles both class and database relationship concepts.
Chapter 8 discusses Hibernate's two main query mechanisms, HQL and Criteria, and also shows how native SQL can be integrated.
Chapter 9 covers the various aspects of a Hibernate transaction, illustrating both session and database transaction concepts.
Chapter 10 shows tools for identifying potential Hibernate performance issues.
Chapter 11 discusses how Hibernate can be used to manage an application's schema.
Chapter 12 covers various Hibernate best practices.
Chapter 13 discusses future directions for Hibernate, and also covers potential similarities with EJB 3.0.
