Using Transactions in the Entity Framework (EF4)
You have multiple updates and want to implement transactions into your database updates in the Entity Framework? I had to do just that in C# , so I thought I’d share what I learn for to remember, and for you to learn. To do this, we must create a TransactionScope, and move around our save function a little bit in the repository. Note : The entity framework already implements transactions for single updates, so this should only be used for times when you need to either customize the transaction, or add multiple saves to a single transaction.
Step 1 : Including the Transaction Scope
You will have to add a reference to System.Transactions in your project. Then include the System.Transactions in your using statements. After that is completed, insert the following code in your save function for a basic transaction.
try
{
using (TransactionScope scope = new TransactionScope())
{
//Code saving to the database
}
}
catch(TransactionAbortedException)
{
//Code to handle the exception
}
Step 2 : Setting Up Our Save to the Transaction Sope
Now that we have our basic transaction down, let’s add our database updates to the scope.
try
{
using (TransactionScope scope = new TransactionScope())
{
//By setting the SaveOptions flag in SaveChanges to AcceptAllChangesAfterSave, we save the information for later
// incase we need to log or use later.
dbContext1.SaveChanges(SaveOptions.AcceptAllChangesAfterSave);
dbContext2.SaveChanges(SaveOptions.AcceptAllChangesAfterSave);
//If we get here, the transaction completed successfully
scope.Complete();
}
}
catch(TransactionAbortedException)
{
//Code to handle the exception
}
More Reading From the MSDN :
How to: Manage Transactions in the Entity Framework
