GenericHome<Cat> catHome = new GenericHome<Cat>(Cat.class);

public class GenericHome<T> {

    private static final Log log = LogFactory.getLog(GenericHome.class);

    protected final SessionFactory sessionFactory = getSessionFactory();
   
    Class<T> theClass;
   
    /** Need class info at runtime for a couple of the methods
     * @param theClass
     */
    public GenericHome(Class<T> theClass) {
      super();
      this.theClass = theClass;
    }

    protected SessionFactory getSessionFactory() {
      return HibernateUtil.getSessionFactory();
    }
   
    public void persist(T transientInstance) {
        log.debug("persisting instance");
        try {
            sessionFactory.getCurrentSession().persist(transientInstance);
            log.debug("persist successful");
        }
        catch (RuntimeException re) {
            log.error("persist failed", re);
            throw re;
        }
    }
   
    public void attachDirty(T instance) {
        log.debug("attaching dirty instance");
        try {
            sessionFactory.getCurrentSession().saveOrUpdate(instance);
            log.debug("attach successful");
        }
        catch (RuntimeException re) {
            log.error("attach failed", re);
            throw re;
        }
    }
   
    public void attachClean(T instance) {
        log.debug("attaching clean instance");
        try {
            sessionFactory.getCurrentSession().lock(instance, LockMode.NONE);
            log.debug("attach successful");
        }
        catch (RuntimeException re) {
            log.error("attach failed", re);
            throw re;
        }
    }
   
    public void delete(T persistentInstance) {
        log.debug("deleting instance");
        try {
            sessionFactory.getCurrentSession().delete(persistentInstance);
            log.debug("delete successful");
        }
        catch (RuntimeException re) {
            log.error("delete failed", re);
            throw re;
        }
    }
   
    public T merge(T detachedInstance) {
        log.debug("merging instance");
        try {
            T result = theClass.cast(  sessionFactory.getCurrentSession()
                    .merge(detachedInstance));
            log.debug("merge successful");
            return result;
        }
        catch (RuntimeException re) {
            log.error("merge failed", re);
            throw re;
        }
    }
   
    public T findById( final java.lang.Integer id) {
      log.debug("getting Stock instance with id: " + id);
      try {
          T instance = theClass.cast( sessionFactory.openSession()
                  .get(theClass.getCanonicalName(), id));
          if (instance==null) {
              log.debug("get successful, no instance found");
          }
          else {
              log.debug("get successful, instance found");
          }
          return instance;
      }
      catch (RuntimeException re) {
          log.error("get failed", re);
          throw re;
      }         
         
    }
   
   
    public List findByExample(T instance) {
        log.debug("finding instance by example");
        try {
            List results = sessionFactory.getCurrentSession()
                    .createCriteria(instance.getClass().getCanonicalName())
                    .add(Example.create(instance))
            .list();
            log.debug("find by example successful, result size: " + results.size());
            return results;
        }
        catch (RuntimeException re) {
            log.error("find by example failed", re);
            throw re;
        }
    }

    /** Gets a list from the given HQL query string
     * @return
     */
    protected List getQueryList(String queryString, Object... queryParams) {
      try {
          Query q = sessionFactory.openSession().createQuery(queryString);
          for (int i = 0 ; i < queryParams.length; i++ ) {
            q.setParameter(i, queryParams[i]);
          }
          List thicknesses = q.list();
         
          if (thicknesses==null) {
              log.debug("get successful, no instance found");
          }
          else {
              log.debug("get successful, instance found");
          }
          return thicknesses;
      }
      catch (RuntimeException re) {
          log.error("get failed", re);
          throw re;
      }
    }

}