Test JPQL (or HQL) using SQuirrel SQL 3.4.0

• In Netbeans 7.2 create a new Java Application Project
• Add a connection to your database in Services tab –>Databases
• Copy all JPA entity classes in your project (in correct package)
• In newly created java app project right click on “Source Packages” –>New –>(Other)->Persistence Unit
• In New Persistence Unit dialog:
• Persistence LIbrary = Hibernate (JPA 1.0)  (I tried with hibernate 4.1.9 and jpa 2 but is not working)
• Database connection = chose your db connection
• Table generation strategy = none
• Edit your persistence.xml
• In design tab –> Include Entity Classes –> add all of them
• In the source tab –> add the hibernate.dialect property e.g.

<property name="hibernate.dialect" value="org.hibernate.dialect.H2Dialect"/>

• Right click on your project and in Build –>Packaging->select Copy Dependency Libs (this will create a lib folder with all you need in the dist folder)
• Build your project
• Right click on your project and in Build –>Packaging->deselect Copy Dependency Libs (this will create your jar without references to other jars – perfect for squirrelsql)
• Build your project again
• In Squirrel File –> Global Preferences –> Hibernate: create a new configuration
• With “Add classpath entity” button:
• add jars for your jdbc driver
• add all jars in from your_java_app/dist/lib
• add your exported java app jar from dist folder
• select call … persistence-unit and complete persistence-unit name
• Select Run Hibernatate in SQuirreL’s Java VM
• Hit Apply Changes to this configuration and OK

After you’re connected to your db in the Hibernate tab is all the magic