TechFAQ

The XML configuration file is by default expected to be in the root o your CLASSPATH. Here is an example:
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<!DOCTYPE hibernate-configuration PUBLIC
"-//Hibernate/Hibernate Configuration DTD//EN"
"http://hibernate.sourceforge.net/hibernate-configuration-3.0.dtd">
<hibernate-configuration>
<!-- a SessionFactory instance listed as /jndi/name -->
<session-factory
name="java:hibernate/SessionFactory">
<!-- properties -->
<property name="connection.datasource">java:/comp/env/jdbc/MyDB</property>
<property name="dialect">org.hibernate.dialect.MySQLDialect</property>
<property name="show_sql">false</property>
<property name="transaction.factory_class">
org.hibernate.transaction.JTATransactionFactory
</property>
<property name="jta.UserTransaction">java:comp/UserTransaction</property>
<!-- mapping files -->
<mapping resource="org/hibernate/auction/Cost.hbm.xml"/>
</session-factory>
</hibernate-configuration>
As you can see, the advantage of this approach is the externalization of the mapping file names to configuration.
The hibernate.cfg.xml is also more convenient once you have to tune the Hibernate cache. Note that is
your choice to use either hibernate.properties or hibernate.cfg.xml, both are equivalent, except for the
above mentioned benefits of using the XML syntax.
With the XML configuration, starting Hibernate is then as simple as
SessionFactory sf = new Configuration().configure().buildSessionFactory();
You can pick a different XML configuration file using
SessionFactory sf = new Configuration()
.configure("catdb.cfg.xml")
.buildSessionFactory();

Cost.hbm.xml -----> looks like

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE hibernate-mapping PUBLIC
"-//Hibernate/Hibernate Mapping DTD 3.0//EN"
"http://hibernate.sourceforge.net/hibernate-mapping-3.0.dtd">

<hibernate-mapping>
<class name="com.bean.Cost" table="COST">

<id name="id" column="ID">
</id>
<property name="isQueued" type="int" column="IS_QUEUED"/>
<property name="queueDate" type="timestamp" column="QUEUE_DATE"/>
<property name="lastModifiedDate" type="timestamp" column="LAST_MODIFIED_DATE"/>
<property name="lastModifiedBy" column="LAST_MODIFIED_BY"/>
<property name="amount" column="AMOUNT" type="double"/>
<property name="currencyCode" column="CURRENCY_CODE" />
<property name="year" column="YEAR"/>
<property name="quarter" column="QUARTER"/>
<property name="costModFlag" type="int" column="COST_MOD_FLAG"/>
<property name="parentId" column="PARENT_ID"/>
<property name="oldParentId" column="OLD_PARENT_ID"/>
<property name="parentIdModFlag" type="int" column="PARENT_ID_MOD_FLAG"/>
<property name="dateIncurred" type="timestamp" column="DATE_INCURRED"/>
<property name="USDAmount" column="USD_AMOUNT" type="double"/>
<property name="isDeleted" type="int" column="IS_DELETED"/>
</class>

</hibernate-mapping>