What is the difference between Hibernate and MyBatis?

Hibernate and MyBatis are both Java persistence frameworks, but they have significant differences in terms of design philosophy and working methodology.

Hibernate is a fully automated ORM framework that handles the mapping between the database and Java objects. Developers only need to define the mapping relationship between entity classes and database tables, and Hibernate will automatically handle all database operations. Additionally, Hibernate offers a wide range of query languages such as HQL and Criteria API, making it easy to execute complex queries.

MyBatis is a semi-automated ORM framework that allows developers to define SQL statements and result mapping rules using mapping files (XML) or annotations. Developers need to manually write SQL statements, but have more flexibility in controlling the writing and execution process of SQL. MyBatis is lighter weight compared to Hibernate and is suitable for projects with special requirements for SQL statements.

Therefore, Hibernate is suitable for simple CRUD operations and complex query scenarios, while MyBatis is suitable for projects with special requirements for SQL statements or custom operations. The choice of which framework to use depends on the project’s needs and the developer’s preferences.