[DB-SIG] Transactions: how to start them?

[Michael McLay]

Andrew Kuchling writes:
 > "W. Craig Trader" <ct7@unicornsrest.org> wrote:
 > >For a typical database, when you open a connection, you've started a
 > >transaction; when the connection is closed the database will either commit
 > >or rollback (it depends upon the database) the transaction.  If you choose
 > 
 > 	OK; thanks!  I think it would be a good idea to make this
 > explicit in the DB-API specification.
 > 
 > >Illustra commits by default; MySQL and mSQL don't support transactions at
 > >all.  Those are the only databases I've used that have Python interfaces
 > >(and none of those interfaces use the DB-API).
 > 
 > 	Since it was decided to keep the DB-SIG alive under Michael
 > McLay's ownership, what's the SIG's mission now?  At the time of the
 > switch, Michael wrote:
 > 
 > >I'd like to keep it alive, so I'll take over as the sig champion.  I
 > >think it needs to stay open until a few more databases are compliant
 > >with the db interface standard.  (In particuular the mSQL interface

I think the discussion over the last couple weeks indicates that this
SIG has more work to do.  The DB-API defines a minimal general purpose
API for accessing SQL, but we need to keep the SIG open as a place to discuss 
implementation problems and to support the development of solutions to
specific problems, such as establishing a standard interface behavior
for transaction processing.  Perhaps a transaction API should be the
next target.  I think Eric Newton was doing some work on a transaction
interface a year or so ago and Jim Fulton work on Bobo probably means
he has will have something to say on the subject.

 > The list of supported databases needs to be more impressive. :)

Yes, more databases would be nice.  Another problem is a lack of a
test database with test script to demonstrate conformance and
performance of the DB-API.  (It could also make a nice demonstration.)

Some code that may be useful in building a test suite might be found
in the SQL tests at http://www.nist.gov/itl/div897/ctg/sql_form.htm.
The Conformance Testing Group (http://www.itl.nist.gov/div897/ctg/ctg.htm) 
developed this test suite.  The group  have redefined their mission
recently.  I found this quote in one of there documents: 

   NIST is exploring broader based methods for accessing unstructured
   information, including natural language queries, and new mechanisms for
   object-oriented access to multimedia data.

I don't know of anyone in that group who is looking at Python.  I
guess that means that industry hasn't ask them to research the
subject.

Hint, Hint, nudge, nudge, wink, wink, know what I mean?

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