javax.persistence

## Annotation Type ElementCollection

    @Target(value={METHOD,FIELD})
     @Retention(value=RUNTIME)
    public @interface ElementCollection

Specifies a collection of instances of a basic type or embeddable class. Must be specified if the collection is to be mapped by means of a collection table.

        Example:

        @Entity public class Person {
           @Id protected String ssn;
           protected String name;
           ...
           @ElementCollection
           protected Set<String> nickNames = new HashSet();
             ...
        }

Since:
  Java Persistence 2.0

### Optional Element Summary

Optional Elements
`FetchType` `fetch` (Optional) Whether the collection should be lazily loaded or must be eagerly fetched.
`Class` `targetClass` (Optional) The basic or embeddable class that is the element type of the collection.

### Element Detail

#### targetClass

    public abstract Class targetClass

(Optional) The basic or embeddable class that is the element type of the collection. This element is optional only if the collection field or property is defined using Java generics, and must be specified otherwise. It defaults to the paramterized type of the collection when defined using generics.

Default:
  void.class

#### fetch

    public abstract FetchType fetch

(Optional) Whether the collection should be lazily loaded or must be eagerly fetched. The EAGER strategy is a requirement on the persistence provider runtime that the collection elements must be eagerly fetched. The LAZY strategy is a hint to the persistence provider runtime.

Default:
  javax.persistence.FetchType.LAZY