Java Programming with Oracle JDBC

Detection

Detection , in our current discussion, is the ability to detect if data you are about to modify has changed since the point when you selected it to be updated. There are several tactics you can employ for detection. Let me clarify that we are no longer discussing locking, but detection. Detection is mutually exclusive of locking.

The first two detection tactics we will discuss are pessimistic. By pessimistic, I mean it is assumed that a user in another session will most likely modify all the columns of a row of data you just selected to be updated by your program. One pessimistic detection approach is to use an updatestamp. As an alternative to using an updatestamp, you can compare all the columns of a table, or attributes of an object, to their original values in the WHERE clause of any UPDATE statement that you issue.

The third detection tactic is optimistic. It operates under the premise that a user in another session is not likely to modify the same data that you intend to modify. It entails comparing only modified columns or attributes in a WHERE clause.

Let’s examine each tactic in detail, beginning with an updatestamp.

Using an Updatestamp

An updatestamp is a number column in a table or a number attribute in an object. The database increments its value by 1 each time you modify a given row or object. That way, you can compare the updatestamp you retrieved from the database to its current value to detect a modification of the row or object by another session.

The benefit ...