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The Java Persistence API (JPA) : a standard interface-based Java model abstraction of persistence, developed by the JCP.

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/*
 * Copyright (c) 2008, 2009, 2011 Oracle, Inc. All rights reserved.
 *
 * This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
 * terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0 and Eclipse Distribution License v. 1.0
 * which accompanies this distribution.  The Eclipse Public License is available
 * at http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html and the Eclipse Distribution License
 * is available at http://www.eclipse.org/org/documents/edl-v10.php.
 */
package javax.persistence.criteria;

import java.util.Collection;

/**
 * Type for query expressions.
 * @param  the type of the expression
 * @since Java Persistence 2.0
 */
public interface Expression extends Selection
{
    /**
     * Create a predicate to test whether the expression is null.
     * @return predicate testing whether the expression is null
     */
    Predicate isNull();

    /**
     * Create a predicate to test whether the expression is not null.
     * @return predicate testing whether the expression is not null
     */
    Predicate isNotNull();

    /**
     * Create a predicate to test whether the expression is a member of the argument list.
     * @param values values to be tested against
     * @return predicate testing for membership
     */
    Predicate in(Object... values);

    /**
     * Create a predicate to test whether the expression is a member of the argument list.
     * @param values expressions to be tested against
     * @return predicate testing for membership
     */
    Predicate in(Expression... values);

    /**
     * Create a predicate to test whether the expression is a member of the collection.
     * @param values collection of values to be tested against
     * @return predicate testing for membership
     */
    Predicate in(Collection values);

    /**
     * Create a predicate to test whether the expression is a member of the collection.
     * @param values expression corresponding to collection to be tested against
     * @return predicate testing for membership
     */
    Predicate in(Expression> values);

    /**
     * Perform a typecast upon the expression, returning a new expression object. This method does not cause
     * type conversion: the runtime type is not changed. Warning: may result in a runtime failure.
     * @param type intended type of the expression
     * @return new expression of the given type
     * @param  Type
     */
     Expression as(Class type);
}