Introduction to MySQL Transactions: Understanding Basic Transaction Characteristics and Use Cases

MySQL transactions are a set of SQL operations that must all succeed (commit) or fail (rollback) simultaneously to ensure data integrity. Their core ACID properties include Atomicity (operations are indivisible), Consistency (compliance with business rules), Isolation (no interference from concurrent operations), and Durability (permanent storage after commit). Typical scenarios include bank transfers (deduction and addition), e-commerce orders (order placement and inventory deduction), and payment systems (synchronized multi-operation execution). The InnoDB engine supports transactions, which require explicit initiation (START TRANSACTION), followed by COMMIT to confirm or ROLLBACK to undo changes. MySQL defaults to the REPEATABLE READ isolation level. Four isolation levels address concurrency issues like dirty reads, non-repeatable reads, and phantom reads, with selection based on business requirements. It is important to avoid long transactions, reasonably control auto-commit, and balance performance with data security.