Database update question

David_Wood

Being somewhat new to mysql databases I have a question.

If I have a database which can be updated by any number of users is there any contention problems by which I mean if two (or more) users were to submit data at the same time would there be a problem?

If there would be a problem how should I handle it?

dixondwayne

Posting against the same record at the same exact time... not likely to happen. One user will get to the record first, it will be locked so others can't get to it until the first user is finishes.

I don't think you have to worry about the above happening. No site that is using mySQL would have to worry about this since the majority of them are small sites when compared to ebay... amazon and the like.

You should consider using transaction logic if you're update or write requires multiple SQL executions.

tomhath

I wouldn't agree that it's not likely (see Murphy's Law).

Current releases of MySql don't support Transactions, so you might have to resort to something else (like a different DBMS such as PostGRE). ALthough there's probably a way to work it out using autoincrement columns.

dixondwayne

Okay - so it might happen once in a blue moon - a very very blue moon. Some things are just not worth trying to get them not to happen. You have to consider your application, your audience, the importance of the occasional query having a problem. If the site was so so so important and vital, it likely would not be using mySQL. I'm talking like important is Bank of America's website and not important is a great many things that fall beneath any bank's website.