Added FluentRepository, which provides helper methods for creating all of the

various query clauses.

Something like this:

   MaxPointsRecord max = load(MaxPointsRecord.class,
       new FromOverride(DailyScoreRecord.class),
       new Where(DailyScoreRecord.KEY.eq(key)));

   List<DailyLeaderRecord> top = findAll(DailyLeaderRecord.class,
       new FromOverride(DailyScoreRecord.class),
       DailyScoreRecord.KNIGHT_ID.join(KnightRecord.KNIGHT_ID),
       new Where(Ops.and(DailyScoreRecord.KEY.eq(key),
           DailyScoreRecord.POINTS.eq(max.maxPoints))));

becomes this:

   MaxPointsRecord max = load(MaxPointsRecord.class,
       from(DailyScoreRecord.class),
       where(DailyScoreRecord.KEY.eq(key)));

   List<DailyLeaderRecord> top = findAll(DailyLeaderRecord.class,
       from(DailyScoreRecord.class),
       join(DailyScoreRecord.KNIGHT_ID, KnightRecord.KNIGHT_ID),
       where(DailyScoreRecord.KEY.eq(key),
             DailyScoreRecord.POINTS.eq(max.maxPoints)));

and the imports for Where and FromOverride go away. It's a modest improvement
in readability.

Both COL.join(OCOL) and join(COL, OCOL) are supported; one can choose based on
the aesthetic demands of an individual query.

src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/CountRecord.java

@@ -27,9 +27,8 @@ import com.samskivert.depot.expression.ColumnExp;
 /**
  * Handy record for computing the count of something. For example:
  * <pre>
- * return load(CountRecord.class,
- *     new FromOverride(ForumThreadRecord.class),
- *     new Where(ForumThreadRecord.GROUP_ID.eq(groupId)).count;
+ * return load(CountRecord.class, from(ForumThreadRecord.class),
+ *             where(ForumThreadRecord.GROUP_ID.eq(groupId)).count;
  * </pre>
  */
 @Computed @Entity

src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/FluentRepository.java

@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+//
+// $Id$
+//
+// Depot library - a Java relational persistence library
+// Copyright (C) 2006-2010 Michael Bayne and Pär Winzell
+//
+// This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+// under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published
+// by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2.1 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+// Lesser General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+// License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
+// Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
+
+package com.samskivert.depot;
+
+import com.samskivert.depot.clause.ForUpdate;
+import com.samskivert.depot.clause.FromOverride;
+import com.samskivert.depot.clause.GroupBy;
+import com.samskivert.depot.clause.Join;
+import com.samskivert.depot.clause.Limit;
+import com.samskivert.depot.clause.OrderBy;
+import com.samskivert.depot.clause.Where;
+import com.samskivert.depot.expression.ColumnExp;
+import com.samskivert.depot.expression.SQLExpression;
+
+/**
+ * Provides a variety of helper methods for constructing queries more concisely (and in some case
+ * using a more fluent style).
+ */
+public abstract class FluentRepository extends DepotRepository
+{
+    protected FluentRepository (PersistenceContext context)
+    {
+        super(context);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns a {@link Where} clause that ANDs together all of the supplied expressions.
+     */
+    protected static Where where (SQLExpression... exprs)
+    {
+        switch (exprs.length) {
+        case 0:
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Must supply at least one expression.");
+        case 1:
+            return new Where(exprs[0]);
+        default:
+            return new Where(Ops.and(exprs));
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns a {@link Where} clause that selects rows where the supplied column equals the
+     * supplied value.
+     */
+    protected static Where where (ColumnExp column, Comparable<?> value)
+    {
+        return new Where(column, value);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns a {@link Where} clause that selects rows where both supplied columns equal both
+     * supplied values.
+     */
+    protected static Where where (ColumnExp index1, Comparable<?> value1,
+                                  ColumnExp index2, Comparable<?> value2)
+    {
+        return new Where(index1, value1, index2, value2);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns a {@link Join} clause configured with the supplied left and right columns.
+     */
+    protected static Join join (ColumnExp left, ColumnExp right)
+    {
+        return new Join(left, right);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns a {@link GroupBy} clause on the supplied group expressions.
+     */
+    protected static GroupBy groupBy (SQLExpression... exprs)
+    {
+        return new GroupBy(exprs);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns an {@link OrderBy} clause configured to randomly order the results.
+     */
+    protected static OrderBy random ()
+    {
+        return OrderBy.random();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns an {@link OrderBy} clause that ascends on the supplied expression.
+     */
+    protected static OrderBy ascending (SQLExpression value)
+    {
+        return OrderBy.ascending(value);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns an {@link OrderBy} clause that descends on the supplied expression.
+     */
+    protected static OrderBy descending (SQLExpression value)
+    {
+        return OrderBy.descending(value);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns a {@link Limit} clause configured with the supplied offset and count.
+     */
+    protected static Limit limit (int offset, int count)
+    {
+        return new Limit(offset, count);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns a {@link FromOverride} clause configured with the supplied override class.
+     */
+    protected static FromOverride from (Class<? extends PersistentRecord> fromClass)
+    {
+        return new FromOverride(fromClass);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns a {@link FromOverride} clause configured with the supplied override classes.
+     */
+    protected static FromOverride from (Class<? extends PersistentRecord> fromClass1,
+                                        Class<? extends PersistentRecord> fromClass2)
+    {
+        return new FromOverride(fromClass1, fromClass2);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns a {@link ForUpdate} clause which marks this query as selecting for update.
+     */
+    protected static ForUpdate forUpdate ()
+    {
+        return new ForUpdate();
+    }
+}

src/test/java/com/samskivert/depot/TestRepository.java

@@ -23,12 +23,10 @@ package com.samskivert.depot;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Set;
 
-import com.samskivert.depot.clause.Where;
-
 /**
  * A test tool for the Depot repository services.
  */
-public class TestRepository extends DepotRepository
+public class TestRepository extends FluentRepository
 {
     public TestRecord loadNoCache (int recordId)
     {
@@ -47,7 +45,7 @@ public class TestRepository extends DepotRepository
 
     public List<EnumKeyRecord> loadEnums (Set<EnumKeyRecord.Type> types)
     {
-        return findAll(EnumKeyRecord.class, new Where(EnumKeyRecord.TYPE.in(types)));
+        return findAll(EnumKeyRecord.class, where(EnumKeyRecord.TYPE.in(types)));
     }
 
     public void storeEnum (EnumKeyRecord record)