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A koan-style tutorial in Java for the MyBatis data mapper framework

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# MyBatis Koans

A [koan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dan) is a question or statement to be meditated upon in order to improve and test a student's progress. Among programmers, software koans have become a clever way to learn a software language or tool.  As the [Ruby koan website](http://rubykoans.com/) says: "The Koans walk you along the path to enlightenment" -- in this case to learn and practice with the [MyBatis 3](http://www.mybatis.org/core/) data mapper framework.

A software koan comes in the form of a broken unit test that you must fix to get it to pass, usually by filling in the blanks or entire missing sections.  The koan is intended to teach one or a small set of cohesive features about the language or tool being studied.

This set of koans focus on the excellent [MyBatis data mapper framework](http://code.google.com/p/mybatis/wiki/Welcome?tm=6) for Java.  MyBatis 3 has made significant changes from the previous iBATIS framework and these koans are designed to help you learn how MyBatis 3 works.

The structure of these koans is inspired by the challenging and informative [Neo4j koans](https://github.com/jimwebber/neo4j-tutorial) by Jim Webber and colleagues.

---

# Contents

* [Overview](#Overview)
  * [Prerequisites](#Prerequisites)
  * [Setup overview](#SetUpOverview)
  * [Main steps to doing the koans](#MainSteps)

* [Setup](#Setup)
  * [Clone the koans repo](#cloneRepo)
    * [The koan directory structure](#koanDirStr)
  * [Setup the sakila database](#createSakila)
  * [Build Tools](#getDeps)
    * [Maven](#getDepsMaven)
    * [Ant](#getDepsAnt)
  * [Run completed koans](#runComp)

* [Do the koans](#doKoans)
  * [Test your koans](#runMainKoans)

* [OMG! - tl;dr - short version please](#tldr)

* [Directory of Koan Topics](#koanDirectory)

* [A Note on Solutions](#noteOnSolutions)

* [A Note on Best Practices](#noteOnBestPractices)

* [Current Status](#currentStatus)

* [I Prefer the Previous Koan Structure](#prevKoans)

* [Contributors](#contributors)

---

<a name="Overview"></a>
# Overview

To do the koans you will need a relational database, the Java JDK, JDBC drivers, JUnit, the MyBatis Persistence Framework, a Java build tool and an editor/IDE.  The mybatis-koan setup tries be flexible to allow you to use your build tool, database of choice and run the koans either from the command line or within your IDE.

The koans come twice - once in "uncompleted" form and once in "completed" form.

The "uncompleted" koans are the ones you will fill in. They are JUnit 4 tests in the `src/main/java/net/thornydev/mybatis/koan/koanXX` directories.  Each koan has its own directory (and thus package name) in order to have separate MyBatis config files to exercise different aspects of the MyBatis data mapper framework.

The completed koans are there for reference in case you get stuck and need to see the solution and also to test that you have your environment set up.  They are in the `src/test/java/net/thornydev/mybatis/koan/koanXX` directories.

While MyBatis can be used with [other JVM languages](http://www.fdmtech.org/2011/12/mybatis-for-scala-1-0-beta-released), these koans are all in pure Java.

To do these koans, the [sakila](http://dev.mysql.com/doc/sakila/en/index.html) example database was chosen.  It is a sample database schema and dataset originally built in MySQL that has been created for [many other relational databases](http://code.google.com/p/sakila-sample-database-ports/). In addition to one-to-many and many-to-many relationships for us to model, it has stored procedures and stored functions that we will learn to access via MyBatis.

## Prerequisites

More specifically you must have:

* An understanding of relational databases and SQL
* Experience programming in Java
* The Java JDK installed (preferably version 6 or higher)
* Either:
  * [Maven](http://maven.apache.org/download.html) (preferably version 3 or higher), or
  * [Ant](http://ant.apache.org/) (preferably 1.8 or higher)
* An editor or IDE (We have tested with Eclipse only)
  * To use Eclipse, you will want to have the [m2e Eclipse plugin](http://www.eclipse.org/m2e/) installed, even if you don't plan to use maven. The organization of the project follows maven standards, so this will allow Eclipse to understand the structure of the koan project.

## Set up overview

Unfortunately, the setup for the MyBatis koans is not as simple as the Ruby koans, since you have to set up and configure a database, load a standard dataset, and configure the MyBatis system for it.  So you'll need to roll up your sleeves a bit before you can get started meditating on the koans themselves.

However, we now provide a fast-track: using maven and the H2 database is the fastest way to get going.  Using maven with PostgreSQL or MySQL requires only a little more work.  Using ant requires a little more work still, since you will need to download and set up the depedencies yourself.

## Main steps to doing the koans

To give you sense of the flow, here are the steps for getting set up and then working through the koans. In the sections that follow we provide more details.

**[Step 0](#chooseDatabase):**  Choose the database server and build tool you want to use

**Step 1:**  Install any missing prerequisites listed above

**[Step 2](#cloneRepo):**  Clone or download the mybatis-koans from GitHub and take a look at the directory structure

**[Step 3](#createSakila):**  Create the sakila database and load the dataset (not necessary for H2)

**[Step 4](#studySakila):**  Study the provided sakila database diagrams to get familiar with it

**[Step 5](#getDeps):**  Run maven to download the dependencies or, if using ant, download the dependencies manually and install them in the koan lib directory

**[Step 6](#runComp):**  Run a few of the completed koans to make sure everything is working on your system

**[Step 7](#eclipse):**  Start working on the koans in your editor / IDE of choice

**[Step 8](#runMainKoans):**  Run the koan you are working on to see if it passes the tests

**Step 9:**  If you are having trouble completing the koan, research your options online, using the [MyBatis User Guide](http://www.mybatis.org/core/), or *as a last resort* take a peek at the completed koan we provide.  Ideally you will look at the completed koan only after yours is done to see if you came up with a different solution.

**Step 10:**  Repeat Steps 8 and 9 until all the koans are finished.

**Step 11:**  Think of additional koans that exercise MyBatis features you'd like to learn better.

**Step 12:**  Fork this repo on GitHub, write your own and make a pull request to add back to the MyBatis community.

# Setup

We provide three ways to run the koans (that we have tested):

1. Load them into Eclipse (as a maven project) and run them one at a time using JUnit built into Eclipse
2. Run/build them as pure maven targets -- either within an IDE or run from the command line
3. Run/build them as pure ant targets  -- either within an IDE or run from the command line

We have completed the koans for three databases:

1. [PostgreSQL](http://www.postgresql.org/)
2. [MySQL](http://www.mysql.com/)
3. [H2](http://www.h2database.com/html/main.html), a pure Java database

You are welcome to do the koans a different database and contribute solutions back.

So you will need to decide what options you'd like to take.  The closest thing to a "push-button" solution is to use maven and H2.  To get the koans set up for that route, the only thing you will need to have pre-installed is maven and Java.  Using any other database or ant will require additional setup, as described below.

### Database

* If you are going to use H2 as your database, everything you need comes with the koan download
* If you are going to use PostgreSQL or MySQL, you will need to install the database server (and client) software and get it configured to have at least one user with a username and password.  You will NOT need to download the sakila database schema and dataset - they come with the koans - but you will need to load the sakila schema and dataset.
* If you are going to use some other database, you will need to:
  * install that database server and client
  * download and create the sakila schema and load the dataset
     * recommended site: [http://code.google.com/p/sakila-sample-database-ports/](http://code.google.com/p/sakila-sample-database-ports/)
  * download and set up the JDBC driver for that database, or, if using maven, add that JDBC dependency to the pom.xml file

## Clone the koans repo (or download it)

If you have [git](http://git-scm.com/downloads) installed, clone this repo:

git clone git://github.com/midpeter444/mybatis-koans.git

If you don't have git, you can just [download a zip or tarball](https://github.com/midpeter444/mybatis-koans/downloads) of the koans.

### The koan directory structure

There are four top-level directories.

**db:** 
The sakila database files are here. For H2, we provide the actual binary db file.  For MySQL and PostgreSQL, we provide the SQL files for the schema and default dataset.  In addition, documentation of the schema is available in the `postgesql/doc` and `mysql/doc` subdirectories.

**lib:** 
This is where to put jars (or links to jars) if you will be using ant.  If you use maven, then you can ignore this directory.

**scripts:** 
A number of ant "scriptlets" are provided as one way to run individual koans as maven targets within Eclipse. The groovy script that generates the ant scriptlets is also provided.  If you are not using maven, you can ignore this directory.

**src:** 
The koan source code is organized using maven's default directory structure.  Maven splits src into `main` and `test`.  The koans are organized such that the incomplete koans that you will work on are in `main` and the already completed koans are in `test`.  Note that even though this directory structure is set up for maven, you do not need to use maven. You can still use ant (or just Eclipse's JUnit runner).  The ant build.xml file provided is set up to handle this directory structure.

## Setup the sakila database

### H2

Nothing to do here - the binary database is provided in the `db/h2` directory.

### PostgreSQL or MySQL : Some assembly required

To use PostgreSQL or MySQL you will need to both install the database server and also populate it with the sakila schema and dataset.  I provide instructions on how to do this from the command line (tested on a Linux machine):

<div style="border: 2px solid grey; margin: 10px; padding: 0px 10px;">
  <p><strong>Creating and loading the PostgreSQL sakila database</strong></p>
  <pre>
  $ cd db/postgresql
  # create your database user if you haven't already
  # and then edit the next line to have your username rather than mine
  $ echo "GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA public TO midpeter444;" >> postgres-sakila-schema.sql
  $ sudo su postgres
  $ createdb sakila
  $ psql sakila &lt; postgres-sakila-schema.sql
  $ psql sakila &lt; postgres-sakila-data.sql
  $ &lt;Ctrl-D&gt; (log-out as postgres back to your user)
  $ psql -h localhost sakila  # log in here and check that tables were created and can be queried</pre>
</div>

<div style="border: 2px solid grey; margin: 10px; padding: 0px 10px;">
  <p><strong>Creating and loading the MySQL sakila database</strong></p>
  <pre>
  $ cd db/mysql
  $ mysql -p
  mysql> create database sakila;
  Query OK, 1 row affected (0.00 sec)
  mysql> exit
  $ mysql sakila -p &lt; sakila-schema.sql
  $ mysql sakila -p &lt; sakila-data.sql
  $ mysql -p sakila # log in here and check that the tables were created and that you can query them</pre>
</div>

### Other database servers

For other databases, get the sakila schema and dataset from [here](http://code.google.com/p/sakila-sample-database-ports/).

### Visual aids for the sakila schema

In the `db/postgesql/doc` and `db/mysql/doc` directories, I have provided some analysis documents and visualizations reverse engineered from the PostgreSQL and MySQL sakila databases.

View PNG files in the `db/postgesql/doc/dbvis` or `db/mysql/doc/dbvis` directories to see physical data models and relationships between tables.  These were generated using the free version of [DbVisualizer](http://www.dbvis.com/).

For a deeper analysis open the `index.html` in either `doc/schemaSpy` directory.  These were generated using the open source [SchemaSpy](http://schemaspy.sourceforge.net/) tool.

Finally, you can also read through the documentation that MySQL provides for the sakila database: [http://dev.mysql.com/doc/sakila/en/index.html](http://dev.mysql.com/doc/sakila/en/index.html)

## Build Tools

### Maven: I just want to get going!

If you have the prerequisites in place, the fastest way to get going is to use maven.

H2 is the default database in the pom.  If you want to use MySQL or PostgreSQL, uncomment that section of the pom dependencies to get their JDBC driver.  If you want to use another database, add its JDBC driver to the maven pom.

#### From the command line

From the top dir of the koans, type:

$ mvn compile

This will download the dependencies for compiling the mybatis koans with H2 and then compile both the incomplete and completed koans. (You will get more dependencies downloaded when you run later targets.)

If you see no errors while downloading and compiling, then try [running a couple of the completed koans](#runComp) in the "test" directory to see if everything seems to be working.

### I prefer Apache Ant

When using the ant for the koans, you will not have any dependency management system. You will need to put (or symlink) the jar file dependencies in the `mybatis-koans/lib` directory.  For example, here is what my `lib` directory looks like:

To run with H2, you will also need to have:

* Apache Commons IO:  [http://commons.apache.org/io/download_io.cgi](http://commons.apache.org/io/download_io.cgi)
* The H2 db jar: [http://www.h2database.com/html/download.html](http://www.h2database.com/html/download.html)
* The logback-class and logback-core jars: [http://logback.qos.ch/download.html](http://logback.qos.ch/download.html)
* The slf4j-api jar: [http://www.slf4j.org/download.html](http://www.slf4j.org/download.html)

So in the end you'll need to have the lib directory have those jars or links to those jars, such as I have here:

$ ls -l
    lrwxrwxrwx 1 (...) junit4.jar -> /home/midpeter444/java/lib/junit4.jar
    lrwxrwxrwx 1 (...) mybatis.jar -> /home/midpeter444/java/lib/mybatis.jar
    lrwxrwxrwx 1 (...) mysql-connector-java.jar -> /home/midpeter444/java/lib/mysql-connector-java.jar
    lrwxrwxrwx 1 (...) postgresql.jar -> /home/midpeter444/java/lib/postgresql.jar
    lrwxrwxrwx 1 (...) slf4j-api.jar -> /home/midpeter444/java/lib/slf4j-1.6.6/slf4j-api-1.6.6.jar
    lrwxrwxrwx 1 (...) commons-io.jar -> /home/midpeter444/java/lib/commons-io-2.4/commons-io-2.4.jar
    lrwxrwxrwx 1 (...) h2.jar -> /home/midpeter444/java/lib/h2/bin/h2-1.3.166.jar
    lrwxrwxrwx 1 (...) logback-classic.jar -> /home/midpeter444/java/lib/h2/bin/logback-classic-1.0.6.jar
    lrwxrwxrwx 1 (...) logback-core.jar -> /home/midpeter444/java/lib/h2/bin/logback-core-1.0.6.jar
    lrwxrwxrwx 1 (...) log4j.jar -> /home/midpeter444/.m2/repository/log4j/log4j/1.2.17/log4j-1.2.17.jar
    lrwxrwxrwx 1 (...) hamcrest-core.jar -> /home/midpeter444/lang/java/lib/junit/hamcrest-core-1.3.jar
    lrwxrwxrwx 1 (...) cglib.jar -> /home/midpeter444/.m2/repository/cglib/cglib/2.2.2/cglib-2.2.2.jar
    lrwxrwxrwx 1 (...) asm.jar -> /home/midpeter444/.m2/repository/asm/asm/3.3.1/asm-3.3.1.jar
    lrwxrwxrwx 1 (...) asm-util.jar -> /home/midpeter444/.m2/repository/asm/asm-util/3.2/asm-util-3.2.jar

### Run the completed koans

Before you try running the completed koans, modify the `src/test/java/net/thornydev/mybatis/test/config.properties` file to set up the database driver and username and password to use.  (If you are using H2, then you can leave the defaults.)

_Note_: where different solutions were required between MySQL, PostgreSQL and/or H2, we have created additional subdirectories named after the database.

#### maven

To run individual completed koans from the command line, use this syntax:

$ mvn clean verify -P run-comp-koans-h2 -D koan=Koan02

This says to use the H2 database and run Koan02.  Change the koan name to run different ones.  To use mysql or postgresql, change the suffix of the -P argument (you can also change the target from `verify` to `test` when using pg or mysql), like so:

$ mvn clean test -P run-comp-koans-pg -D koan=Koan03
    $ mvn clean test -P run-comp-koans-mysql -D koan=Koan04

To run all the tests for a given database, leave off the -D target:

$ mvn clean verify -P run-comp-koans-h2

The `-P` switch to maven identifies a "profile" that you want to run. To see a list of the profiles defined in the maven pom, you can run:

$ mvn help:all-profiles

**Example Output**

$ mvn clean verify -P run-comp-koans-h2 -D koan=Koan02

Ideally, among all the verbiage that maven spits out, when you run a completed koan test, you will see output that includes this:

[INFO] H2 server spawned at tcp://localhost:9092
    [INFO] 
    [INFO] --- maven-surefire-plugin:2.12:test (test-koans) @ mybatis-koans ---
    [INFO] Surefire report directory: /home/midpeter444/databases/mybatis/mybatis-koans/target/surefire-reports
    [INFO] Using configured provider org.apache.maven.surefire.junitcore.JUnitCoreProvider
    
    -------------------------------------------------------
     T E S T S
    -------------------------------------------------------
    Concurrency config is parallel='none', perCoreThreadCount=true, threadCount=2, useUnlimitedThreads=false
    Running net.thornydev.mybatis.test.koan02.Koan02
    Tests run: 3, Failures: 0, Errors: 0, Skipped: 0, Time elapsed: 0.749 sec
    learnToQueryViaXmlMapperReturningHashMap(net.thornydev.mybatis.test.koan02.Koan02)  Time elapsed: 0.704 sec
    learnToQueryMapperReturningHashMapWithParameterInput(net.thornydev.mybatis.test.koan02.Koan02)  Time elapsed: 0.009 sec
    learnToQueryViaXmlMapperReturningListOfHashMaps(net.thornydev.mybatis.test.koan02.Koan02)  Time elapsed: 0.036 sec
    Results :
    
    Tests run: 3, Failures: 0, Errors: 0, Skipped: 0
    
    [INFO] 
    [INFO] --- h2-maven-plugin:1.0:stop (h2-finish) @ mybatis-koans ----
    [INFO] H2 server stopped
    [INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    [INFO] BUILD SUCCESS
    [INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note that for the H2 version it starts ("spawns") the H2 database, runs the koan (Koan02 in this case), which has three test targets, and then stops the H2 server.  If you choose mysql or postgresql it will just run the koan; it will **not** start and stop the db server.

#### ant

Make sure you have ant in your PATH. In the mybatis-koans directory, run `ant -p` to make sure ant is working and to see the available targets.

To run individual completed koans from the command line, use this syntax:

$ ant comp-koan04

You can also run all the koans for the database you've chosen with:

$ ant comp-all-xx  # replace xx with the database name
    $ ant comp-all-h2  # example when using H2

_Note_: If you are using H2, you need to **first** run the ant target `runH2` in one window and then run the koans in another window.

##### Tweaking the ant settings

By default, the koan test output will be written to the console only. If you want the output to be written to a plain text formatted file in the top directory called `TEST-net.thornydev.mybatis.koan.koanXX.KoanXX.txt`, set the `log.koan.output.to.file` property to "true" in the build.xml file, like so:

### Do the Koans in Eclipse

After you install the m2e plugin, do: Import > Maven > Existing Maven Project. Specify the mybatis-koans directory for the "root directory". It should find the pom.xml and name the project "mybatis-koans". Click Finish.

It should find your maven dependencies and download those or reference them if you've already done the maven commands from the command line.  If something doesn't work, try going to the command line and type `mvn verify` to download and compile and verify the setup described in the pom.

Once you have the mybatis-koans project created in Eclipse and have all the previous steps done (such as jar dependencies in place), you can run the koans (the main ones you will do and the already completed ones) by:

* running them individually in Eclipse using its JUnit runner
* running them via ant targets
* running them via maven targets

Modify the config.properties in src/main and src/test to set the database properties you need.  (For H2, you don't need to change it.)

If you are using the H2 database and using the Eclipse JUnit test runner or ant targets, you must first start the H2 database: in `src/test/java/h2server` right click on `RunH2.java` and select "Run As Java Application".  Then run your koans.  When finished, stop the h2server by clicking the terminate button in the Eclipse Console window (you will probably have to click the "Remove Launch" button next to it first).

The other option is to start H2 with ant by invoking the runH2 target.

**Example Instructions: Run koans as Eclipse JUnit tests**

Navigate to `src/test/java/koan01/Koan01.java` and open it.  Right click in the Koan01.java file and click Run As > JUnit Test.  It should run the test and it will hopefully pass.  If not, you may not have your dependencies in place or your config file is not right.

If you get the error `Class not found net.thornydev.mybatis.test.koan01.Koan01`, this means that the koans have not yet been compiled by maven.  The easiest fix is to run `mvn verify` and try again.

**Example Instructions: Run koans from the ant targets in Eclipse**

To run the koans from the Ant targets, first open the Ant view: Window > Show View > Ant.  Drag build.xml to the Ant view window.  You will see all the ant targets displayed.  If you are using H2, make sure you have the RunH2 programming running, either by runnign it from Eclipse (see above section) or running it with the ant runH2 target from the command line. Next double click the `comp-koan01` target.  It should run in the console and hopefully pass.

**Example Instructions: Run koans from the maven targets in Eclipse**

You can either set up the targets one by one by editing the Run As -> Maven Build option provided by m2e. I don't recommend it, but here is a reference that gives a little more information: http://stackoverflow.com/a/2808748/871012

Instead, in the scripts directory, we provide a bunch of little ant scriptlets that will run each maven target.  To make this work, first edit `scripts/mvn.properties` to set the path to the mvn or mvn.bat script that came with your maven installation.  (For some reason I couldn't get Eclipse to find mvn on the PATH, so had to resort to this.)

Navigate to the scripts that match the db you are using and whether you want to run the completed koan or the one in main that you are working on.  For example, `scripts/main/h2` will run the main koans targeting the H2 database (the H2 db has its own target since maven will start and stop the H2 db server for each run).  `scripts/main/default` will be the scriptlets for other dbs.

In Eclipse, right click (or double click to open and right click) one of these .ant scriptlets, such as `maven-run-comp-koan01-mysql.ant` (assuming you are using MySQL).  Choose Run As -> Ant Build.  The "ant build" script will invoke the maven pom with the correct targets and profiles and run it via maven.  I don't think you need to have ant installed separately, as Eclipse (I believe) has ant built into it by default.

**Caution**: Overall, within Eclipse I recommend that you run the koans using Eclipse's JUnit runner as it will give you nice red/green output.  Currently, when these scriptlets run it is very hard to tell if a test fails. Maven will report an error, but the ant scriptlet still reports SUCCESS like so:

[exec] Tests in error: 
     [exec]   net.thornydev.mybatis.koan.koan03.Koan03: (..)
     [exec] Tests run: 1, Failures: 0, Errors: 1, Skipped: 0
     [exec] [ERROR] There are test failures.
     [exec] Please refer to /home/midpeter444/databases/mybatis/mybatis-koans/target/surefire-reports for the individual test results.
     [exec] [INFO] 
     [exec] [INFO] --- maven-jar-plugin:2.3.1:jar (default-jar) @ mybatis-koans ---
     [exec] [INFO] Building jar: /home/midpeter444/databases/mybatis/mybatis-koans/target/mybatis-koans-1.2.jar
     [exec] [INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     [exec] [INFO] BUILD SUCCESS
     [exec] [INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------

If anyone has a patch to these scriptlets to fix this inconsistency, I'd welcome that.

# Do the koans

Once you are satisfied that the completed koans work, you should then begin to work on the incomplete koans. Start with Koan01 in the `src/main/java/net/thornydev/mybatis/koan/koan01` directory.

Before you start, modify the `src/main/java/net/thornydev/mybatis/config.properties` file to set up the database driver, and username and password to use.  (If you are using H2, then you can leave the defaults.)

Whenever you start a new koan, open the file KoanXX.java and read the overview and instructions in the javadoc comments at the top of the file. The goal is to fill in all the TODOs that get the tests already set up to pass.

## Test your koans

To run the koans you are completing, do:

# if you are using H2, this will start the H2 database, run
    #   the koan(s) and stop the H2 db
    $ mvn clean verify -P run-koans-h2 -D koan=Koan01  # run one koan
    $ mvn clean verify -P run-koans-h2                 # run all koans

# if you are NOT using H2, then use this (can use 'test' not 'verify' for non-H2 dbs):
    $ mvn clean verify -P run-koans -D koan=Koan01  # run one koan
    $ mvn clean verify -P run-koans                 # run all koans

**or**

# remember to do 'ant runH2' first in another console if using H2
    $ ant koan01    # run one
    $ ant run-all   # <- what he said

or run them from within Eclipse as JUnit tests.

### Adjust logging verbosity

If you want more logging information when running your koan tests, adjust the logging levels in the `src/main/resources/logback.xml` file.  There are four knobs: root level, the koans, java.sql and the ibatis levels.

To have less logging (none if the koans passing), set logging levels to "info".  For more, set levels to "debug".  Mix and match to get the output you want.

----

# tl;dr - Too many options, just tell me the bare minimum

We've tried to be flexible with options and document everything, but here's my short version for those that want my recommendation on how I would do it:

1. Ensure/install prerequisites
2. Clone the repo
3. Setup sakila db in PostgreSQL (or MySQL)
4. Using m2e in Eclipse, load the project as a maven project and let maven compile everything
5. Open src/main ... Koan01.java and read the instructions
6. Complete the TODOs
7. Run the koans using Eclipse's JUnit runner
8. Repeat 5-7 until enlightened
9. Go answer MyBatis questions on stackoverflow and generally be excellent to each other

For extra credit, think of new koans and add them to the repo with a pull request!

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# Directory of Koan Topics

See the [directory of koans](https://github.com/midpeter444/mybatis-koans/blob/master/KOANS.md) for a description of what each koan tests.

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# A Note on Solutions

For many koans, there are probably many ways to make it work (even within the constraints put in place to exercise a given feature of MyBatis). If you have an alternative solution that will help others see the possibilities, feel free to send a pull request to get it added to the repo.

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# A Note on Best Practices

As you go through the koans, you'll see that I change styles/idioms from time to time. Sometimes I start a session for each test, then later not.  Sometimes I use mappers with a Java interface, sometimes not.  Sometimes I turn camelCase mapping on, sometimes not. These koans are not intended to recommend best practice, but rather to see the variations of possibilities that MyBatis 3 allows. I mix it up so you can be reminded of these variations. You should decide, in conjunction with the recommendations in the User Guide and reading other tutorials and code examples, on what is best practice for your code base.

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# Current Status

**07-Mar-2013**: mybatis-3.2 was released in late February.  **The koans dependencies have been updated to work with mybatis-3.2**.  Basically, cglib (2.2.2) and log4j (1.2.17) had to be explicitly added to the classpath.  They were added to the pom and the instructions below for adding them to your lib directory if using Ant have also been updated.

If you need to get back to the mybatis-3.1 version, I have created a git tag for that last commit:

git checkout tags/mybatis-3.1 -b mybatis-3.1
    
*Note*: In mybatis-3.2, SQLBuilder has been deprecated, so Koan18 is now vestigial.  However, I will leave it in for a while longer in case people are still using older versions and depending on SQLBuilder.  You should stop using it. See the MyBatis documentation for more details.

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**17-Feb-2013**:  José Antonio López figured out how to implement the EmailTypeHandler for the Null Object Pattern koan (Koan 19).  See his [stackoverflow posting](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14874547/null-object-pattern-with-a-mybatis-typehandler).  We should add that as an alternative solution to the completed koans.

Also, [mybatis-3.2.0-SNAPSHOT](https://code.google.com/p/mybatis/downloads/list?can=3&q=Product%3DMyBatis) recently came out. Anyone tested the koans with that yet? Put that on our TODO list.

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**08-Dec-2012**: [Thiago Arrais](https://github.com/thiagoarrais) fixed a bug in Koan02. I fixed a few minor ambiguities in the PostgreSQL sakila installation instructions.

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**12-Aug-2012**: Added Koan 26.

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**05-Aug-2012**: Two new koans (24 and 25) were added.

----

The original koans were released in May 2012.  In July, [Andrei Pozolotin](https://github.com/carrot-garden) contributed some changes to make the koans work with maven, so we are releasing the revised setup for the koans.

So far, we have tested them carefully with MyBatis-3.1.1 using H2-1.3.168, PostgreSQL 9.1.3 and MySQL 5.5 on Linux and using H2 on Windows 7. If you try them with other combinations and have problems, let me know.  (Suggested patches are welcome.)

Right now these koans focus only on the MyBatis Persistence Framework. Future koans could also focus on the other "modules" of MyBatis, such as Schema Migrations, the MyBatis code generator and MyBatis-Spring integration, Scala integration and Caches (such as EHCache and memcached).

Even within the Persistence Framework, these koans do **not** cover some functionality in MyBatis 3, such as:

* caching
* altering the defaults of a wide variety of settings, such as "useGeneratedKeys", turning off "aggressiveLazyLoading", or altering "autoMappingBehavior"
* low-level plugins, such as Executor, ParameterHandler, ResultSetHandler, StatementHandler
* implementing our own TransactionFactory
* JNDI lookups 
* databaseIdProvider

If you have found any of these to be really useful, feel free to suggest a new koan or write one yourself to add it here with a [pull request](https://help.github.com/articles/using-pull-requests/).

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# Previous Koan Structure

Anyone that wants to use the previous Eclipse / ant-centric version of the koans can still get them from the repo. I've tagged that last commit with `koans-v1`.  You can revert to that version by cloning the current repo and then checking out the tag:

git checkout tags/koans-v1 -b koans-v1
    
You need to include the -b switch to create a new named branch, otherwise you will be in "detached HEAD state", which is never fun.

*One caution*: any new koans will not be added to this version/setup of the repo, although you could add them yourself.

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# Contributors

* [Thiago Arrais](https://github.com/thiagoarrais) fixed a mismatch in Koan02 between the completed version (which was correct) and the uncompleted version.
* [Andrei Pozolotin](https://github.com/carrot-garden) did significant work to revamp the structure of the koans to be maven compatible and wrote much of the maven setup to get things going - thanks!
* [Michael Kolakowski](https://github.com/mkolakow) fixed some typos on the original README

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