Transaction Questions

Hello!

    I have observed that there is no way to keep a SAVEPOINT inside a BEGIN; ...
END; block after an error condition. I created the following table for
testing:

xyz=> \d t1
           Table "public.t1"
 Column |       Type        | Modifiers
--------+-------------------+-----------
 c1     | character varying |
 n1     | integer           |
Indexes:
    "t1_c1_idx" UNIQUE, btree (c1)

xyz=>

I then tried the following:

BEGIN;
  INSERT INTO t1 VALUES ('w', 1);
  SAVEPOINT p1;
  INSERT INTO t1 VALUES ('x', 2);
  ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT p1;
END;

and that works as expected. However, if I get an error within the transaction
anywhere after the SAVEPOINT command, then the entire transaction fails, and
any changes made prior to the SAVEPOINT are rolled back. For example:

xyz=> TRUNCATE TABLE t1;
TRUNCATE TABLE
xyz=> BEGIN;
BEGIN
xyz=> INSERT INTO t1 VALUES ('w', 1);
INSERT 0 1
xyz=> SAVEPOINT p1;
SAVEPOINT
xyz=> SELECT * FROM t1;
 c1 | n1
----+----
 w  |  1
(1 row)

xyz=> INSERT INTO t1 VALUES ('x', 2);
INSERT 0 1
xyz=> SELECT * FROM t1;
 c1 | n1
----+----
 w  |  1
 x  |  2
(2 rows)

xyz=> SELECT 1 / 0;
ERROR:  division by zero
xyz=> SELECT * FROM t1;
ERROR:  current transaction is aborted, commands ignored until end of
transaction block
xyz=> END;
ROLLBACK
xyz=> SELECT * FROM t1;
 c1 | n1
----+----
(0 rows)

xyz=>

    Is this the way that it is meant to work, or is there something wrong in my
approach? Is it possible to have some statements within a transaction succeed
and be committed to the database while others fail and are rolled back?

--
Regards,

Richard Kut
Database Administrator
Research & Development
Intelerad Medical Systems Inc.
460 Ste-Catherine West, Suite 210
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3B 1A7
Tel:     514.931.6222 x7733
Fax:     514.931.4653
rkut@intelerad.com
www.intelerad.com

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