Hibernate Projections distinct record

Question

I need to access unique records in my existing project but the problem is that when I use

cr = session.createCriteria(Application.class); 
    cr.add(Restrictions.eq("verified", "Yes"));
cr.setProjection(Projections.distinct(Projections.property("application_name")));

it is giving me error

java.lang.String cannot be cast to org.entitybean.Application

here is my iterator

 List<Application> result = cr.list();
 for (Iterator it = result.iterator(); it.hasNext();) {
                Application ap = (Application) it.next();
            List<ApplicationPricing> app = (List<ApplicationPricing>) ap
                    .getApplicationpricing();
            List<ApplicationDownloads> app_downloads = (List<ApplicationDownloads>) ap
                    .getApplicationdownloads();
            List<ApplicationComments> app_comments = (List<ApplicationComments>) ap
                    .getApplicationcomments();
            List<ApplicationRating> app_rating = (List<ApplicationRating>) ap
                    .getApplicationrating();

            ApplicationBean ab = new ApplicationBean();
            ab.setNo_of_records(count + "");
            ab.setApp_id(ap.getApp_id() + "");

 ...
}

Here is complete stack trace:

java.lang.ClassCastException: java.lang.String cannot be cast to org.block.entitybean.Application
    at org.block.businesslogic.ApplicationLogic.getApplicationDetails(ApplicationLogic.java:933)
    at org.block.actions.ApplicationAction.appsDetGet(ApplicationAction.java:155)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invokeAction(DefaultActionInvocation.java:452)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invokeActionOnly(DefaultActionInvocation.java:291)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:254)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.DefaultWorkflowInterceptor.doIntercept(DefaultWorkflowInterceptor.java:176)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.MethodFilterInterceptor.intercept(MethodFilterInterceptor.java:98)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:248)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.validator.ValidationInterceptor.doIntercept(ValidationInterceptor.java:263)
    at org.apache.struts2.interceptor.validation.AnnotationValidationInterceptor.doIntercept(AnnotationValidationInterceptor.java:68)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.MethodFilterInterceptor.intercept(MethodFilterInterceptor.java:98)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:248)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.ConversionErrorInterceptor.intercept(ConversionErrorInterceptor.java:133)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:248)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.ParametersInterceptor.doIntercept(ParametersInterceptor.java:207)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.MethodFilterInterceptor.intercept(MethodFilterInterceptor.java:98)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:248)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.ParametersInterceptor.doIntercept(ParametersInterceptor.java:207)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.MethodFilterInterceptor.intercept(MethodFilterInterceptor.java:98)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:248)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.StaticParametersInterceptor.intercept(StaticParametersInterceptor.java:190)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:248)
    at org.apache.struts2.interceptor.MultiselectInterceptor.intercept(MultiselectInterceptor.java:75)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:248)
    at org.apache.struts2.interceptor.CheckboxInterceptor.intercept(CheckboxInterceptor.java:94)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:248)
    at org.apache.struts2.interceptor.FileUploadInterceptor.intercept(FileUploadInterceptor.java:243)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:248)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.ModelDrivenInterceptor.intercept(ModelDrivenInterceptor.java:100)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:248)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.ScopedModelDrivenInterceptor.intercept(ScopedModelDrivenInterceptor.java:141)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:248)
    at org.apache.struts2.interceptor.debugging.DebuggingInterceptor.intercept(DebuggingInterceptor.java:267)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:248)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.ChainingInterceptor.intercept(ChainingInterceptor.java:142)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:248)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.PrepareInterceptor.doIntercept(PrepareInterceptor.java:166)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.MethodFilterInterceptor.intercept(MethodFilterInterceptor.java:98)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:248)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.I18nInterceptor.intercept(I18nInterceptor.java:176)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:248)
    at org.apache.struts2.interceptor.ServletConfigInterceptor.intercept(ServletConfigInterceptor.java:164)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:248)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.AliasInterceptor.intercept(AliasInterceptor.java:190)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:248)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.ExceptionMappingInterceptor.intercept(ExceptionMappingInterceptor.java:187)
    at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:248)
    at org.apache.struts2.impl.StrutsActionProxy.execute(StrutsActionProxy.java:52)
    at org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.Dispatcher.serviceAction(Dispatcher.java:485)
    at org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.ExecuteOperations.executeAction(ExecuteOperations.java:77)
    at org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.filter.StrutsPrepareAndExecuteFilter.doFilter(StrutsPrepareAndExecuteFilter.java:91)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:233)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:191)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:127)
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:103)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:109)
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:293)
    at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java:861)
    at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.process(Http11Protocol.java:606)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.JIoEndpoint$Worker.run(JIoEndpoint.java:489)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)

Answer 1

The issue (Exception) is caused by the fact, that you are using Projections , which result in an anonymous object array, when List() is called. What we need in this case, is the ResultTransformer . For more details, let's take a look here 5.2.3. ResultTransformer

Some extract:

...Especially when using projection, the data structure returned by a query (an object array in this case), is not always matching the application needs. It is possible to apply a ResultTransformer operation post query to match the targeted data structure...

So, in our case, before we call list, we should

...
cr
.setResultTransformer(Transformers.aliasToBean(Application.class))
.list();

What we also have to adjust, is to provide the Projection with alias, the name of the property which it is representing

...
cr.setProjection(Projections.distinct(Projections.property("application_name"))
  , ""application_name");

BUT this most likely won't solve the real problem. I mean the fact, that we need to get a list of Applications which are almost fully populated (pricing, downloads). Because at this moment, the List<Application> will contain very limited amount of information. In fact, only the application_name property would be filled.

What I would suggest, is to change the approach. Try to create some kind of subquery. Eg to select the distinct (max, min) application_Id , grouped by application_name . Then use it to get Applications which Id is IN that subquery. The starting point how it could be done:

• 17.10. Detached queries and subqueries ... documentation
• How to use a subquery ... the accepted answer as an example