{{Orphan|date=September 2014}}In [[Java Platform, Enterprise Edition]] (Java EE), the '''Conversational state''' are the field values of a [[session bean]] plus the transitive closure of the objects reachable from the bean's fields. The name "conversational" is used as in this state is necessary for the same client interactsto interact with the same bean instance throughout a session - as opposed to a stateless session bean which does not do so.<ref name="JavaEE5">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t707HcfW014C&dq=Conversational+state+%28Java+EE%29&pg=PA746 | title=The Java EE 5 Tutorial | publisher=Prentice Hall Professional | author=Jendrock, Eric | year=2006 | isbn=9780321490292}}</ref> For example, while a Cart bean might contain a conversational state to communicate with the same client about the contents of their cart, an Order bean mightdoesn't notneed it as the invocationconversation (multiple requests/responses) is not necessary.<ref name="Vasiliev2008">{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/beginningdatabas0000vasi | url-access=registration | page=[https://archive.org/details/beginningdatabas0000vasi/page/306 306] | title=Beginning Database-Driven Application Development in Java EE: Using GlassFish | publisher=Apress | author=Vasiliev, Yuli | year=2008 | isbn=9781430209645}}</ref> The transitive closure of a bean is defined in terms of the [[Serialization#Java|serialization protocol for the Java programming language]], that is, the fields that would be stored by serializing the bean instance.
