SQLite ROLLBACK

SQLite database provides a number of useful features for managing and manipulating data. One of the key features of SQLite is the ability to execute transactions. Transactions are a way to group a set of SQL statements together into a single logical unit of work. Transactions can help ensure the consistency and reliability of data, especially in a multi-user environment.

When executing a transaction, SQLite provides a number of commands to manage the transaction. One of these commands is the ROLLBACK command. The ROLLBACK command is used to undo the changes made to the database during a transaction. If a transaction is aborted, either by an explicit ROLLBACK command or due to an error, all changes made to the database since the start of the transaction are undone.

Syntax

The syntax for the ROLLBACK command in SQLite is as follows:

ROLLBACK;

When this command is executed, SQLite will immediately cancel the current transaction and undo all changes made to the database within that transaction. Any locks held by the transaction are released, and the database returns to its previous state.

It is important to note that the ROLLBACK command only applies to the current transaction. If there are multiple nested transactions, rolling back one transaction will not automatically roll back all nested transactions. Each transaction must be rolled back individually.

Example

Suppose we have a database table called “employees” with columns “id”, “name”, and “salary”. We want to update the salary of an employee with a certain ID, but we want to ensure that the update is rolled back if an error occurs during the transaction.

To do this, we can use the following SQLite commands:

BEGIN TRANSACTION; --start a transaction

UPDATE employees 
SET salary = 50000 
WHERE id = 123; --update the salary of employee with ID 123

--Suppose an error occurs here, such as a constraint violation or a connection interruption

ROLLBACK; --undo the changes made within the transaction

--Any changes made within the transaction are now rolled back to their original state

In this example, we start a transaction with the BEGIN TRANSACTION command, which tells SQLite to group a series of database operations into a single transaction. We then update the salary of an employee with ID 123 using the UPDATE command.

If an error occurs after the update, we can use the ROLLBACK command to undo any changes made within the transaction and revert the database to its original state. This ensures that the database remains consistent even if an error occurs during the transaction.

Note that the ROLLBACK command only undoes changes made within the current transaction. If multiple transactions have been started, only the most recent transaction will be rolled back.

In conclusion, the ROLLBACK command in SQLite is a powerful tool for managing transactions and ensuring the consistency and reliability of data. By using the ROLLBACK command, developers can easily undo any changes made to the database during a transaction, helping to maintain the integrity of the data.