Transaction

Redis transaction begin with the MULTI command and end with EXEC or DISCARD command.

After the MULTI command, every non transactional command will be pushed on the queue.

But if any illegal command is pushed, an error will be reported. Then the transaction cannot be executed due to the error.

Warning

Transactions in Redis do not follow the all or nothing principle.

It can ensures all commands in the queue will be executed in sequence and that there will never be any command to jump in line.

So it has no ROLLBACK operation.

Commands

MULTI

Marks the start of a transaction block.

After MULTI command, commands for each non transactional operation are pushed on the queue.

EXEC/DISCARD

Marks the end of a transaction block And EXECUTE or DISCARD the commands in the queue.

WATCH

WATCH key [key ...]

Marks the given keys to be watched.

UNWATCH

Unmarks all the previously watched keys for a transaction.

If you call EXEC or DISCARD, there’s no need to manually call UNWATCH.

Simple example

> MULTI
OK

(TX)> SET name Boii
QUEUED

(TX)> SET age 18
QUEUED

(TX)> SET bir 2022-01-01
QUEUED

(TX)> EXEC
1) OK
2) OK
3) OK

> MULTI
OK

(TX)> SET name Eva
QUEUED

(TX)> SET age 18
QUEUED

(TX)> DISCARD
OK

> MULTI
OK

(TX)> SET name Boii
QUEUED

(TX)> SET age 18
QUEUED

(TX)> INCR name
QUEUED

(TX)> EXEC
1) OK
2) OK
3) (error) ERR value is not an integer or out of range

> MULTI
OK

> SET name Boii
QUEUED

(TX)> SET age 18
QUEUED

(TX)> NO-SUCH-COMMAND abc
(error) ERR unknown command `NO-SUCH-COMMAND`, with args beginning with: `abc`,

(TX)> SET bir 2022-01-01
QUEUED

(TX)> EXEC
(error) EXECABORT Transaction discarded because of previous errors.

Watch and Unwatch

In the Redis transaction, the Lock operation is implemented through the WATCH command.

Before execute the MULTI command, you can use the WATCH key [key ...] to watch all keys that will be used in the following transaction.

And if other client modify any keys you watched before you execute EXEC command, your transaction will be not executed and return (nil).

UNWATCH command will be executed after EXEC or DISCARD command automatically. You can also execute it manually before WATCH command.

> SET a 100
OK
> SET b 5
OK

> MGET a b
1) "100"
2) "5"

It was not watch the keys, so the result was unexpected.

Client 1	Client 2
> MULTI
OK
(TX)> MGET a b
QUEUED
(TX)> DECRBY a 100
QUEUED
(TX)> INCRBY b 100
QUEUED
(TX)> MGET a b
QUEUED
	> GET a
	"100"
	> DECRBY a 50
	(integer) 50
(TX)> EXEC
1) 1) "50"
-- 2) "5"
2) (integer) -50
3) (integer) 105
4) 1) "-50"
-- 2) "105"

Client 1	Client 2
> WATCH a b
OK
> MULTI
OK
(TX)> MGET a b
QUEUED
(TX)> DECRBY a 100
QUEUED
(TX)> INCRBY b 100
QUEUED
(TX)> MGET a b
QUEUED
	> GET a
	"100"
	> DECRBY a 50
	(integer) 50
(TX)> EXEC
(nil)
> MGET a b
1) "50"
2) "5"