1) I'm sorry I keep on posting but I can't use the search on the forum...
Is there a way to look for a string instead of a boolean expression?
It's hard to look for "number of rows" using "number and rows"...

2) I have to divide a list of objects into "pages" of data.
I'm using setMaxResults and setFirstResult, but the very first time
the user asks for the list I want to know the total number of rows.
What's the faster method?

a)
if (firstTime) {
totrows = query.list().size() // without setMaxResults or setFirstResult
}
query.setMaxResults(..)
query.setFirstResult(..)
List mylist = query.list() // re-query

b) use another query with "select count(*)" just before the "real" query:
if (firstTime){
totrows = ((Integer)query2.iterate().next()).intValue()
}

//now the "normal" query
query.setMaxResults(..)
query.setFirstResult(..)
List mylist = query.list()

Would say 2b

I suppose that in b) I have to re-set all my bind variables.
Or there is another method? I'm asking because the class
that "limits" the query doesn't "know" the values of the bind variables...

Sounds like a weird design. I want to know the size of something but I don't really know what.

The thing is I have something like:

Query query = ....

limit.limit(query);

where limit is an interface. That's way it doesn't know "what" to limit.
I'll change my design if there is no way to get the parameters passed to
a Query.