Dirty Checking
An ORM mechanism that detects changes made to managed entities and automatically schedules corresponding database updates during flush.
Software Engineering Context
Dirty checking lets an ORM detect changes to managed entities and generate updates during flush. In large persistence contexts, snapshot comparisons, unnecessary managed entities, and unexpected flush points can add allocation, latency, and database work.
Design Boundary
Dirty checking is not uncontrolled automatic persistence. Transaction boundaries, entity state, and flush mode determine when changes become SQL operations.