Incorrect Column Ordering in JPA-Generated Table: A Solution

When generating tables using JPA (Java Persistence API), it's essential to understand the default behavior regarding column ordering. By default, Hiberante orders columns alphabetically.

In the scenario presented, the problem stems from the alphabetical ordering of the column names. According to a forum post, this ordering is implemented to ensure deterministic ordering across clusters, as the order of methods returned by the virtual machine can vary.

Prior to Hibernate version 3.2.1 GA, columns were ordered based on their occurrence. However, a change between versions 3.2.0 GA and 3.2.1 GA introduced the alphabetical ordering.

This issue is particularly relevant for compound primary keys. A related ticket highlights how this change can negatively impact index performance.

Workaround: Custom Column Naming

Since there's no built-in fix for this issue, the only viable workaround is to name the columns in a way that forces them to appear in the desired order. This may require renaming some columns or adding prefixes or suffixes to adjust their alphabetical order.