What is the difference between using native SQL queries and JPQL when working with a database?

Native SQL queries are direct queries in SQL language sent to the database without modifications. They allow the use of all features of a specific DBMS, including specialized functions and optimizations. JPQL (Java Persistence Query Language) is an object-oriented query language that works with Java entities rather than directly with tables. JPQL is independent of the specific database and enables writing object-oriented queries, which simplifies portability and integration with JPA.

Example:

// JPQL
String jpql = "SELECT u FROM User u WHERE u.age > :age";

// Native SQL
String sql = "SELECT * FROM users WHERE age > ?";

Thus, JPQL is convenient for working with objects, while native SQL is suitable for complex or specific queries.