O/R mapping tool generates bad descriptors for CMP2.0

Question

The O/R tool has many problems with EJB-CMP 2.0.
It generates bad ejb-jar.xml (misses the <cmr-field-type> tag, has the same relationship field included in both the <entity> tag and the <relationships> tag).
The worst part is that is generates bad TopLink descriptors!
I have numerous indirect 1-1 bean-pojo (plain old java object). When I have the 'tool' generate the ejb-jar.xml and deployment xml it generates all these relationships incorrectly.
The O/R 'tool' forces you to use transparent indirection for CMP 2.0 relationships; transparent indirection does not allow you to specify 'use method accessing'. Fine. But when I go to deploy the compiled jar, I get ALL sorts of errors complaining that:
EXCEPTION [TOPLINK-1] (TopLink (WLS CMP) - 9.0.3 (Build 423)): oracle.toplink.exceptions.DescriptorException
EXCEPTION DESCRIPTION: The attribute [addressToDesc] is not declared as type ValueHolderInterface, but its mapping uses indirection.
MAPPING: oracle.toplink.mappings.OneToOneMapping[addressToDesc]
DESCRIPTOR: Descriptor(...
ARGH!! What the heck do I need to do to get this 'tool' to work? It won't LET me use valueholder in EJB-CMP2.0, but then it complains when when I don't!?!?!
Frustrated,
Andrew

Answer 1

(from toplink support)
Andrew,
Hi there. I've performed some research regarding
your question, and it appears that having an
"automatic" 1:1 indirect relationship between an EJB
2.0 Entity Bean and a dependent Java object is not
currently supported by TopLink. Examining the
documentation, this non-support unfortunately isn't
documented. I have entered a feature request on your
behalf so that we might be able to support it in a
future major version of TopLink.
However, there are a couple of alternatives which
you can use:
1) We do support non-indirect 1:1 relationships
between an EJB 2.0 Entity Bean and a dependent Java
object. You could disable indirection, and maybe
make the relationship a batch read relationship so
that your performance will not be degraded.
2) You can write a concrete getter and setter, and
provide an instance variable on the entity bean for
your dependent object of type ValueHolderInterface.
Provide the private getters and setters for set and
get -Holder. Map this normally using TopLink, and
make sure Indirection is specified in the Mapping
Workbench.
IMPORTANT: TopLink will handle the normal
persistence management for this relationship,
however you will need to handle the merging back of
this object yourself (you had to do this in EJB 1.1
in TopLink as well). Luckily there are good docs on
this, and it's covered in detail - look at the
TopLink for WebLogic documentation : Runtime
Considerations > Managing dependent objects.
Personally, I would implement solution 1) with batch
reading on the attribute, because the dependent
object shouldn't be that "big" (otherwise it would
be an entity bean). This is an easier solution,
however you should investigate 2) fully yourself.