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PostgreSQL documentation
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<refentry id="SQL-START-TRANSACTION">
 <docinfo>
  <date>2002-07-26</date>
 </docinfo>

 <refmeta>
  <refentrytitle id="SQL-START-TRANSACTION-TITLE">START TRANSACTION</refentrytitle>
  <refmiscinfo>SQL - Language Statements</refmiscinfo>
 </refmeta>

 <refnamediv>
  <refname>START TRANSACTION</refname>
  <refpurpose>start a transaction block</refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>

 <refsynopsisdiv>
  <synopsis>
START TRANSACTION [ ISOLATION LEVEL { READ COMMITTED | SERIALIZABLE } ] [ READ WRITE | READ ONLY ]
  </synopsis>

  <refsect2 id="R2-SQL-START-TRANSACTION-1">
   <refsect2info>
    <date>1998-09-27</date>
   </refsect2info>
   <title>
    Inputs
   </title>

   <para>
    None.
   </para>
  </refsect2>

  <refsect2 id="R2-SQL-START-TRANSACTION-2">
   <refsect2info>
    <date>1998-09-27</date>
   </refsect2info>
   <title>
    Outputs
   </title>

   <para>

    <variablelist>
     <varlistentry>
      <term><computeroutput>
START TRANSACTION
       </computeroutput></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
    Message returned if successful.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>
     <varlistentry>
      <term><computeroutput>
WARNING:  BEGIN: already a transaction in progress
       </computeroutput></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
    If there is already a transaction in progress when the
    command is issued.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
   </para>
  </refsect2>
 </refsynopsisdiv>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Description</title>

  <para>
   This command begins a new transaction. If the isolation level or
   read/write mode is specified, the new transaction has those
   characteristics, as if <xref linkend="sql-set-transaction"
   endterm="sql-set-transaction-title"> was executed. In all other
   respects, the behavior of this command is identical to the <xref
   linkend="sql-begin" endterm="sql-begin-title"> command.
  </para>

 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 id="R1-SQL-START-TRANSACTION-3">
  <title>Compatibility</title>

  <para>
   SQL99; but see also the compatibility section of <xref
   linkend="sql-set-transaction" endterm="sql-set-transaction-title">.
  </para>
 </refsect1>
</refentry>

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