Multiple parameterized Delphi SQL updates within a transaction - sql-server

Question

I am trying to update two different SQL tables in the same loop using parameterized queries in Delphi XE8. I also want to wrap the whole thing in a transaction, so that if anything in the loop fails, neither table gets updated.
I don't really know what I'm doing, would appreciate some help.
The code below is a simplified version of what I'm trying to achieve, and my best guess as to how to go about it. But I'm not really sure of it at all, particularly the use of two datasets connected to the 'SQL connection' component.
SQL_transaction.TransactionID :=1;
SQL_transaction.IsolationLevel:=xilREADCOMMITTED;
SQL_connection.BeginTransaction;
Try
{ Create connections }
SQL_dataset1 :=TSQLDataSet.Create(nil);
SQL_dataset1.SQLConnection:=SQL_connection;
SQL_dataset2 :=TSQLDataSet.Create(nil);
SQL_dataset2.SQLConnection:=SQL_connection;
{ Create queries }
SQL_dataset1.CommandType:=ctQuery;
SQL_dataset1.CommandText:={ some parameterized query updating table A }
SQL_dataset2.CommandType:=ctQuery;
SQL_dataset2.CommandText:={ some parameterized query updating table B }
{ Populate parameters and execute }
For I:=0 to whatever do
begin
SQL_dataset1.ParamByName('Table A Field 1').AsString:='Value';
SQL_dataset1.ExecSQL;
SQL_dataset2.ParamByName('Table B Field 1').AsString:='Value';
SQL_dataset2.ExecSQL;
end;
SQL_connection.Commit(SQL_transaction);
except
SQL_connection.Rollback(SQL_transaction);
end;
I am using Delphi XE8, and the database can be either SQL server or SQLite.

Answer 1

The logic of your transaction handling is correct (except the missing exception re-raise mentioned by #whosrdaddy). What is wrong are missing try..finally blocks for your dataset instances. Except that you should stop using TSQLConnection deprecated methods that are using the TTransactinDesc record (always check the compiler warnings when you're building your app.). And you can also switch to TSQLQuery component. Try something like this instead:
var
I: Integer;
Query1: TSQLQuery;
Query2: TSQLQuery;
Connection: TSQLConnection;
Transaction: TDBXTransaction;
begin
...
Query1 := TSQLQuery.Create(nil);
try
Query1.SQLConnection := Connection;
Query1.SQL.Text := '...';
Query2 := TSQLQuery.Create(nil);
try
Query2.SQLConnection := Connection;
Query2.SQL.Text := '...';
Transaction := Connection.BeginTransaction;
try
// fill params here and execute the commands
for I := 0 to 42 to
begin
Query1.ExecSQL;
Query2.ExecSQL;
end;
// commit if everything went right
Connection.CommitFreeAndNil(Transaction);
except
// rollback at failure, and re-raise the exception
Connection.RollbackFreeAndNil(Transaction);
raise;
end;
finally
Query2.Free;
end;
finally
Query1.Free;
end;
end;

Answer 2

I prefer try finally over try except
here's how to make it work in a try finally block
var
a_Error: boolean;
begin
a_Error := True;//set in error state...
SQL_dataset1 := nil;
SQL_dataset2 := nil;
SQL_transaction.TransactionID :=1;
SQL_transaction.IsolationLevel:=xilREADCOMMITTED;
SQL_connection.BeginTransaction;
Try
{ Create connections }
SQL_dataset1 :=TSQLDataSet.Create(nil);
SQL_dataset1.SQLConnection:=SQL_connection;
SQL_dataset2 :=TSQLDataSet.Create(nil);
SQL_dataset2.SQLConnection:=SQL_connection;
{ Create queries }
SQL_dataset1.CommandType:=ctQuery;
SQL_dataset1.CommandText:={ some parameterized query updating table A }
SQL_dataset2.CommandType:=ctQuery;
SQL_dataset2.CommandText:={ some parameterized query updating table B }
{ Populate parameters and execute }
For I:=0 to whatever do
begin
SQL_dataset1.ParamByName('Table A Field 1').AsString:='Value';
SQL_dataset1.ExecSQL;
SQL_dataset2.ParamByName('Table B Field 1').AsString:='Value';
SQL_dataset2.ExecSQL;
end;
a_Error := False;//if you don't get here you had a problem
finally
if a_Error then
SQL_connection.Rollback(SQL_transaction)
else
SQL_connection.Commit(SQL_transaction);
SQL_dataset1.Free;
SQL_dataset2.Free;
end;
end;
I added some code on how Try Finally works with init objects to nil
TMyObject = class(TObject)
Name: string;
end;
procedure TForm11.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
a_MyObject1, a_MyObject2: TMyObject;
begin
a_MyObject1 := nil;
a_MyObject2 := nil;
try
a_MyObject1 := TMyObject.Create;
a_MyObject1.Name := 'Object1';
if Sender = Button1 then
raise exception.Create('Object 2 not created');
ShowMessage('We will not see this');
a_MyObject2 := TMyObject.Create;
a_MyObject2.Name := 'Object2';
finally
a_MyObject2.Free;
ShowMessage('We will see this even though we called a_MyObject2.free on a nil object');
a_MyObject1.Free;
end;
end;