> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bxorm.ortusbooks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://bxorm.ortusbooks.com/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitycriteria.md).

# EntityCriteria

Start a fluent criteria query on an entity

Start a fluent query on an entity. Chain conditions, joins, projections, ordering and options, then run it with a terminal method such as list(), count(), get(), first(), paginate() or each(). The updateAll() and deleteAll() terminals change every matching row with one statement, and lock() locks the rows a query returns.

## Method Signature

```
EntityCriteria(entityName=[String])
```

### Arguments

| Argument     | Type     | Required | Description          | Default |
| ------------ | -------- | -------- | -------------------- | ------- |
| `entityName` | `String` | `true`   | The entity to query. |         |

Returns a criteria builder. See [Criteria Queries](/bxorm-2.x/working-with-entities/criteria.md) for every method.

## Examples

Active users whose last name starts with "Sm", ordered:

```java
users = entityCriteria( "User" )
    .isEq( "active", true )
    .like( "lastName", "Sm%" )
    .order( "lastName" )
    .list();
```

Or-groups and association paths (joined automatically):

```java
admins = entityCriteria( "User" )
    .anyOf( ( c ) => c.isEq( "role.name", "admin" ).isTrue( "isSuperUser" ) )
    .count();
```

A page of results with its paging numbers:

```java
page = entityCriteria( "Order" )
    .isGe( "createdDate", dateAdd( "d", -30, now() ) )
    .orderByDesc( "createdDate" )
    .paginate( page = 2, maxRows = 25 );
// { results : [...], pagination : { page : 2, maxRows : 25, offset : 25, totalRecords : 130, totalPages : 6 } }
```

Grouped totals as structs:

```java
totals = entityCriteria( "Order" )
    .project( ( p ) => p.group( "status" ).count( "id", "orders" ).sum( "total", "revenue" ) )
    .asStruct()
    .list();
```

Structs built like `entityToStruct()`, read with projection queries instead of loading entities (see [Entities as Structs](/bxorm-2.x/working-with-entities/structs.md)):

```java
users = entityCriteria( "User" )
    .isEq( "active", true )
    .asStruct( "id,name,role.name,orders" )
    .list();
```

A property argument can be a function call, including the application's named [`sqlFunctions`](/bxorm-2.x/getting-started/configuration.md#named-sql-functions):

```java
thisYear = entityCriteria( "Order" ).isEq( "year(createdDate)", 2025 ).order( "lower(customer.name)" ).list();
```

Change or delete every matching row with one statement (no entity events or cascades, see [Bulk updates and deletes](/bxorm-2.x/working-with-entities/criteria.md#bulk-updates-and-deletes)):

```java
archived = entityCriteria( "Order" ).isLt( "createdDate", cutoff ).updateAll( { status : "archived" } );
removed  = entityCriteria( "Session" ).isLt( "expires", now() ).deleteAll();
```

Lock the rows a query returns until the transaction ends:

```java
transaction {
    jobs = entityCriteria( "Job" ).isEq( "status", "new" ).lock( "write", { skipLocked : true } ).maxResults( 10 ).list();
}
```

See the SQL without running the query:

```java
writeOutput( entityCriteria( "User" ).isEq( "active", true ).getSQL( true ) );
```

## Related

* [EntityDelete](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitydelete.md)
* [EntityEvict](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityevict.md)
* [EntityGetDatasource](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitygetdatasource.md)
* [EntityGetDirtyProperties](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitygetdirtyproperties.md)
* [EntityGetId](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitygetid.md)
* [EntityGetMetadata](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitygetmetadata.md)
* [EntityGetName](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitygetname.md)
* [EntityGetReference](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitygetreference.md)
* [EntityIsAttached](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityisattached.md)
* [EntityIsDirty](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityisdirty.md)
* [EntityLoad](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityload.md)
* [EntityLoadAsStruct](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityloadasstruct.md)
* [EntityLoadByExample](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityloadbyexample.md)
* [EntityLoadByPK](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityloadbypk.md)
* [EntityLoadByPKOrFail](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityloadbypkorfail.md)
* [EntityLoadOrFail](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityloadorfail.md)
* [EntityLoadOrNew](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityloadornew.md)
* [EntityLoadOrSave](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityloadorsave.md)
* [EntityLoadReadOnly](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityloadreadonly.md)
* [EntityLock](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitylock.md)
* [EntityMerge](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitymerge.md)
* [EntityNameArray](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitynamearray.md)
* [EntityNameList](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitynamelist.md)
* [EntityNew](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitynew.md)
* [EntityReload](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entityreload.md)
* [EntitySave](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitysave.md)
* [EntityToQuery](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitytoquery.md)
* [EntityToStruct](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/entitytostruct.md)
* [ORMClearSession](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormclearsession.md)
* [ORMCloseAllSessions](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormcloseallsessions.md)
* [ORMCloseSession](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormclosesession.md)
* [ORMDiagnostics](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormdiagnostics.md)
* [ORMEvictCollection](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormevictcollection.md)
* [ORMEvictEntity](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormevictentity.md)
* [ORMEvictQueries](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormevictqueries.md)
* [ORMExecuteQuery](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormexecutequery.md)
* [ORMFlush](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormflush.md)
* [ORMFlushAll](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormflushall.md)
* [ORMGetHibernateVersion](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormgethibernateversion.md)
* [ORMGetSQLFunctions](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormgetsqlfunctions.md)
* [ORMGetSession](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormgetsession.md)
* [ORMGetSessionFactory](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormgetsessionfactory.md)
* [ORMGetSessionStatistics](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormgetsessionstatistics.md)
* [ORMIsSessionDirty](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormissessiondirty.md)
* [ORMReadOnly](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormreadonly.md)
* [ORMReload](/bxorm-2.x/reference/built-in-functions/ormreload.md)


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