JPA console

Use the JPA console to write and run JPQL queries. It provides useful highlighting and completion for JPQL keywords, object and property names.

Make sure that persistence.xml contains the necessary information for the persistence unit to be able to run JPQL queries from the corresponding JPA console: the persistence provider, a list of persistent classes, and connection properties. For example, in case of EclipseLink and MySQL, it could be similar to the following:

        
        <persistence-unit name="NewPersistenceUnit">
            <provider>org.eclipse.persistence.jpa.PersistenceProvider</provider>
            <class>com.example.MyApp.models.ProductsEntity</class>
            ...

            <properties>
                <property name="eclipselink.jdbc.url" value="jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/database"/>
                <property name="eclipselink.jdbc.driver" value="com.mysql.jdbc.Driver"/>
                <property name="eclipselink.jdbc.user" value="root"/>
                <property name="eclipselink.jdbc.password" value="root"/>
            </properties>
        </persistence-unit>
        
    

Open the JPA console

In the Persistence tool window, right-click a persistence unit or entity and select Console. Alternatively, you can click in the toolbar or press Ctrl+Shift+F10.

The JPA console input pane opens as a separate tab where you can write and execute JPQL queries.

The JPA console toolbar contains the following buttons:

	`Ctrl+Enter`	Run the current query.
		Generate an SQL statement or a DDL script. `Ctrl+Shift+Enter` Generate SQL: Generate an SQL equivalent of the current JPQL statement. `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Enter` Generate DDL: Generate the corresponding `CREATE TABLE`, `ALTER TABLE`, and `DROP TABLE` statements for all the objects (classes) associated with the current persistence unit.
		Open the Database page of the Settings/Preferences dialog `Ctrl+Alt+S`.
		Open the Parameters pane to see the parameters used in your queries and set their values.
	`Ctrl+Alt+E`	Open the console history dialog that shows all the queries that you have run in this console.
		Restore the original tool window layout after layout changes.
		Select the source for properties.
	`Ctrl+F2`	Terminate the current console session.
	`Ctrl+Shift+F4`	Close the current console.

Run JPQL queries

After you write a query, do one of the following:

Press Ctrl+Enter.
Click in the toolbar.

When you execute a query with parameters, you will need to enter their values. Alternatively, click to open the Parameters pane.

IntelliJ IDEA stores all queries that you execute. Press Up to see the previously executed commands, starting from the most recent one. To see the full history, press .

Navigate to the declaration of a class or field

When composing a query, it is useful to look at the declaration of the corresponding class or field.

Hold Ctrl and click the relevant object or property.
Position the caret at the name of the relevant object or property and press Ctrl+B or select Navigate | Declaration from the main menu.

Run the JPA console with custom JVM options

The JPA console is a Java process. If necessary, you can start it with custom JVM options:

Create an Application run configuration
From the main menu, select Run | Edit Configurations, click , and select Application.
In the VM options field, specify the options that you want to pass to the JVM when it starts. The rest of the run configuration settings don't matter and you don't need to specify them.
Click OK to save the run configuration.
When you open the JPA console, IntelliJ IDEA will display an additional VM and Env Configuration popup with the available run configurations. Select the one with the necessary JVM options or run with the default settings.

Last modified: 02 August 2022