# The orm.xml file

Although the JPA specification emphasizes the use of annotations to specify persistence, you can also use the `orm.xml` file to store this metadata. Dali enables you to create a stub `orm.xml` file for a JPA project using the Mapping File Wizard. See "Managing the orm.xml file" for more information.

Note: The metadata must match the XSD specification of your selected JPA implementation.

Dali provides comprehensive support for configuring XML mapping files through the JPA Details view (for orm.xml) that is nearly identical to the annotation-based configuration in the Java source. Alternatively, you can also use the Eclipse XML Editor to create and maintain the metadata information in `orm.xml`.

Note: Dali works exclusively with XML mapping files named `orm.xml`.

Managing the orm.xml file
Creating a new JPA project