Hi
This is what the specification has to say on the dependent value class:
10.3.3 Dependent Value Classes
A dependent value class is a concrete class that is the value of a cmp-field. A dependent value class may be a class that the Bean Provider wishes to use internally within an entity bean with container-managed persistence, and/or it may be a class that the Bean Provider chooses to expose through the remote (or local) interface of the entity bean.
A dependent value class can be the value of a cmp-field; it cannot be the value of a cmr-field. The get accessor method for a cmp-field that corresponds to a dependent value class returns a copy of the dependent value class instance. The assignment of a dependent value class value to a cmp-field using the set accessor method causes the value to be copied to the target cmp-field.
A dependent value class must be serializable. The internal structure of a dependent value class is not described in the
EJB deployment descriptor.
Thanks
-- Ravi
SCJP, SCJD, SCWCD, SCBCD, SCEA