Holdable result sets

The holdable result set feature permits an application to keep result sets open after implicit or explicit commits. By default, the cursor controlled by the result set is held open after a commit.

Note: Derby, supports non-holdable result sets on platforms which support JDBC 3.

Starting with Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition, v 1.4 (J2SE), result sets can be created with close when a commit occurs option. Such result sets will be automatically closed when a commit happens. Result sets are automatically closed when a transaction aborts, whether or not they have been specified to be held open.

To specify whether a result set should be held open after a commit takes place, supply one of the following ResultSet parameters to the Connection method createStatement, prepareStatement, or prepareCall:

CLOSE_CURSORS_AT_COMMIT
Result sets are closed when an implicit or explicit commit is performed.
HOLD_CURSORS_OVER_COMMIT
Result sets are held open when a commit is performed, implicitly or explicitly. This is the default behavior.

The method Statement.getResultSetHoldability() indicates whether a result set generated by the Statement object stays open or closes, upon commit. See the Java DB Reference Manual for more information.

When an implicit or explicit commit occurs, result sets that hold cursors open behave as follows:

Open result sets remain open. Non-scrollable result sets becomes positioned before the next logical row of the result set. Scrollable insensitive result sets keep their current position.
When the session is terminated, the result set is closed and destroyed.
All locks are released, including locks protecting the current cursor position.
For non-scrollable result sets, immediately following a commit, the only valid operations that can be performed on the ResultSet object are:
- positioning the result set to the next row with ResultSet.next().
- closing the result set with ResultSet.close().

When a rollback or rollback to savepoint occurs, either explicitly or implicitly, the following behavior applies:

All open result sets are closed.
All locks acquired during the unit of work are released.

Note: Holdable result sets do not work with XA transactions in Derby. When working with XA transactions, the result set should be opened with holdability ResultSet.CLOSE_CURSORS_AT_COMMIT.

Holdable result sets and autocommit
When autocommit is on, a positioned update or delete statement will automatically cause the transaction to commit.
Non-holdable result set example
The following example uses Connection.createStatement to return a ResultSet that will close after a commit is performed.

Parent topic: Result set and cursor mechanisms

Related concepts

Transactions when auto-commit is disabled

Updatable result sets

Result sets and auto-commit

Scrollable result sets

Related reference

Simple non-updatable result sets