How to properly start, working and finish a transaction? - delphi

Question

I'm using MySQL, and I know that Nested Connection are not allowed - use "save points" for this - but I would like create a more generic code that could also be used with other DBMS.
So, I would like know how to properly start, working and finish a transaction in the code below?
Once ExampleDAO.Save() function could be used inside other function, like OtherExampleDAO.Save(), I need verify a transaction has been started before I try start a new one.
The lines with the verification if Assigned(dbTransaction) then always returns true, so how to properly verify if dbTransaction was instantiated?
function TExampleDAO.Save(const Example: TExample): Boolean;
var
dbxTransaction: TDBXTransaction;
begin
if Assigned(Example) then // prevents invalid object, like ExampleDAO.Save(nil);
begin
try
if (_connection.TransactionsSupported) AND
((not _connection.InTransaction) OR (_connection.MultipleTransactionsSupported)) then
begin
dbxTransaction := _connection.BeginTransaction(TDBXIsolations.ReadCommitted);
end;
try
// example
_sqlQuery.Close;
_sqlQuery.SQL.Clear;
_sqlQuery.SQL.Add('INSERT INTO example(a, b) '
+ 'VALUES(:a, :b)');
_sqlQuery.ParamByName('a').AsAnsiString := Example.A;
_sqlQuery.ParamByName('b').AsDateTime := Example.B;
_sqlQuery.ExecSQL(False);
// example info
_sqlQuery.Close;
_sqlQuery.SQL.Clear;
_sqlQuery.SQL.Add('INSERT INTO example_info(c, d) '
+ 'VALUES(:c, :d)');
_sqlQuery.ParamByName('c').AsInteger := Example.Info.C;
_sqlQuery.ParamByName('d').AsFloat := Example.Info.D;
_sqlQuery.ExecSQL(False);
if Assigned(dbxTransaction) then
_connection.CommitFreeAndNil(dbxTransaction);
Result := True;
except
on Exc:Exception do
begin
if Assigned(dbxTransaction) then
_connection.RollBackFreeAndNil(dbxTransaction);
raise Exc;
Result := False;
end;
end;
finally
if Assigned(dbxTransaction) then
FreeAndNil(dbxTransaction);
end;
end
else
begin
Result := False;
end;
end;

Answer 1

You need to properly initialize dbxTransaction to nil at the start of your function. Local variables in Delphi (on the Win32 platform, at least) are not initialized until a value is assigned to them, meaning that the content is unknown. Passing any value other than nil to Assigned will result in True. I recommend never testing a local variable's content on any platform until it has had a value assigned in your code.
Here's an example of how to make it work. (I've also removed the unnecessary assignment to Result in the exception block.)
function TExampleDAO.Salve(const Example: TExample): Boolean;
var
dbxTransaction: TDBXTransaction;
begin
dbxTransaction := nil; // Initialize the transaction variable here
if Assigned(Example) then // prevents invalid object, like ExampleDAO.Save(nil);
begin
try
if (_connection.TransactionsSupported) AND
((not _connection.InTransaction) OR (_connection.MultipleTransactionsSupported)) then
begin
dbxTransaction := _connection.BeginTransaction(TDBXIsolations.ReadCommitted);
end;
try
// example
_sqlQuery.Close;
_sqlQuery.SQL.Clear;
_sqlQuery.SQL.Add('INSERT INTO example(a, b) '
+ 'VALUES(:a, :b)');
_sqlQuery.ParamByName('a').AsAnsiString := Example.A;
_sqlQuery.ParamByName('b').AsDateTime := Example.B;
_sqlQuery.ExecSQL(False);
// example info
_sqlQuery.Close;
_sqlQuery.SQL.Clear;
_sqlQuery.SQL.Add('INSERT INTO example_info(c, d) '
+ 'VALUES(:c, :d)');
_sqlQuery.ParamByName('c').AsInteger := Example.Info.C;
_sqlQuery.ParamByName('d').AsFloat := Example.Info.D;
_sqlQuery.ExecSQL(False);
if Assigned(dbxTransaction) then
_connection.CommitFreeAndNil(dbxTransaction);
Result := True;
except
on Exc:Exception do
begin
if Assigned(dbxTransaction) then
_connection.RollBackFreeAndNil(dbxTransaction);
raise Exc;
end;
end;
finally
if Assigned(dbxTransaction) then
FreeAndNil(dbxTransaction);
end;
end
else
begin
Result := False;
end;
end;
As was noted by #SirRufo in the comments to your question, failing to pass Example as a parameter should probably raise an exception as well, which would mean that it could become a procedure instead of a function and Result would no longer apply at all.