Getting column names for a Query resultList?

Question

For a Query created via EntityManager.createQuery("some qlString here"), where the query language string picks out individual properties (so select p.firstName, p.lastName from Person p), is there any way to get the property names of the things retrieved?
I'm trying to allow an end user to define JPA queries by storing the query language string persistently, and then (after some rudimentary checking) create a Query from it, hosted (at this point) in a JTable. It would be nice if there were a way to wire up the items returned by the query such that the JTable columns were "titled" with something appropriate.
Otherwise I have to either (a) parse the QL string (yuck yuck yuck) or (b) somewhat redundantly have the user specify the columns/properties/related objects that they think they're retrieving.
Thanks,
Laird

Answer 1

Connection connection;
DatabaseMetaData metadata = connection.getMetaData();
  String[] names = {"TABLE"};
  ResultSet tables = metadata.getTables(null,"%", "%", names);
  while (tables.next()) {
  String tableName = tables.getString("TABLE_NAME");
   ResultSet columns = metadata.getColumns(null, "%", tableName, "%");
while (columns.next()) {
  String columnName = columns.getString("COLUMN_NAME");
    }