[[query-by-example.running]]
== Running an Example

In Spring Data JPA, you can use Query by Example with Repositories, as shown in the following example:

.Query by Example using a Repository
====
[source, java]
----
public interface PersonRepository extends JpaRepository<Person, String> { … }

public class PersonService {

  @Autowired PersonRepository personRepository;

  public List<Person> findPeople(Person probe) {
    return personRepository.findAll(Example.of(probe));
  }
}
----
====

NOTE: Currently, only `SingularAttribute` properties can be used for property matching.

The property specifier accepts property names (such as `firstname` and `lastname`). You can navigate by chaining properties together with dots (`address.city`). You can also tune it with matching options and case sensitivity.

The following table shows the various `StringMatcher` options that you can use and the result of using them on a field named `firstname`:

[cols="1,2", options="header"]
.`StringMatcher` options
|===
| Matching
| Logical result

| `DEFAULT` (case-sensitive)
| `firstname = ?0`

| `DEFAULT` (case-insensitive)
| `LOWER(firstname) = LOWER(?0)`

| `EXACT`  (case-sensitive)
| `firstname = ?0`

| `EXACT` (case-insensitive)
| `LOWER(firstname) = LOWER(?0)`

| `STARTING`  (case-sensitive)
| `firstname like ?0 + '%'`

| `STARTING` (case-insensitive)
| `LOWER(firstname) like LOWER(?0) + '%'`

| `ENDING`  (case-sensitive)
| `firstname like '%' + ?0`

| `ENDING` (case-insensitive)
| `LOWER(firstname) like '%' + LOWER(?0)`

| `CONTAINING`  (case-sensitive)
| `firstname like '%' + ?0 + '%'`

| `CONTAINING` (case-insensitive)
| `LOWER(firstname) like '%' + LOWER(?0) + '%'`

|===
