Working with Persistent Objects

The %Save() method automatically saves all the objects in its SaveSet as a single transaction. If any of these objects fail to save, then the entire transaction is rolled back. In this rollback, InterSystems IRIS does the following:

1. It reverts assigned IDs.

2. It recovers removed IDs.

3. It recovers modified bits.

4. It invokes the %OnRollBack() callback method, if implemented, for any object that had been successfully serialized.

   InterSystems IRIS does not invoke this method for an object that has not been successfully serialized, that is, an object that is not valid.

As noted previously, the %Save() method automatically saves all the objects in its SaveSet as a single transaction. If any of these objects fail to save, then the entire transaction is rolled back.

If you wish to save two or more unrelated objects as a single transaction, however, you must enclose the calls to %Save() within an explicit transaction: that is, you must start the transaction using the TSTART command and end it with the TCOMMIT command.

For example:

 // start a transaction
 TSTART

 // save first object
 Set sc = obj1.%Save()

 // save second object (if first was save)
 If ($$$ISOK(sc)) {
     Set sc = obj2.%Save()
 }

 // if both saves are ok, commit the transaction
 If ($$$ISOK(sc)) {
     TCOMMIT
 }

There are two things to note about this example:

1. The %Save() method knows if it is being called within an enclosing transaction (because the system variable, $TLEVEL, will be greater than 0).

2. If any of the %Save() methods within the transaction fails, the entire transaction is rolled back (the TROLLBACK command is invoked). This means that an application must test every call to %Save() within a explicit transaction and if one fails, skip calling %Save() on the other objects and skip invoking the final TCOMMIT command.

The %ExistsId() class method checks a specified ID; it returns a true value (1) if the specified object is present in the database and false (0) otherwise. It is available to all classes that inherit from %PersistentOpens in a new tab. For example:

 Write ##class(Sample.Person).%ExistsId(1),!   // should be 1 
 Write ##class(Sample.Person).%ExistsId(-1),!  // should be 0

Here, the first line should return 1 because Sample.Person inherits from %PersistentOpens in a new tab and the SAMPLES database provides data for this class.

You can also use the %Exists() method, which requires an OID rather than an ID. An OID is a permanent identifier unique to the database that includes both the ID and the class name of the object. For more details, see Identifiers for Saved Objects: ID and OID.

To test for the existence of a saved object with SQL, use a SELECT statement that selects a row whose %ID field matches the given ID. (The identity property of a saved object is projected as the %ID field.)

For example, using embedded SQL:

 &sql(SELECT %ID FROM Sample.Person WHERE %ID = '1')
 Write SQLCODE,!  // should be 0: success

 &sql(SELECT %ID FROM Sample.Person WHERE %ID = '-1')
 Write SQLCODE,!  // should be 100: not found

Here, the first case should result in an SQLCODE of 0 (meaning success) because Sample.Person inherits from %PersistentOpens in a new tab and the SAMPLES database provides data for this class.

The second case should result in an SQLCODE of 100, which means that the statement successfully executed but returned no data. This is expected because the system never automatically generates an ID value less than zero.

For more information on embedded SQL, see Embedded SQL. For more information on SQLCODE, see SQLCODE Values and Error Messages in the InterSystems IRIS Error Reference.

If %OpenId() is called multiple times within an InterSystems IRIS process for the same ID and the same object, only one object instance is created in memory. All subsequent calls to %OpenId() return a reference to the object already loaded into memory.

For example, consider this class featuring multiple %OpenId() calls to the same object:

Class User.TestOpenId Extends %RegisteredObject
{

ClassMethod Main()
{
   set A = ##class(Sample.Person).%OpenId(1)
   write "A: ", A.Name

   set A.Name = "David"
   write !, "A after set: ", A.Name

   set B = ##class(Sample.Person).%OpenId(1)
   write !, "B: ", B.Name

   do ..Sub()

   job ..JobSub()
   hang 1
   write !, "D in JobSub: ", ^JobSubD
   kill ^JobSubD

   kill A, B
   set E = ##class(Sample.Person).%OpenId(1)
   write !, "E:", E.Name
}

ClassMethod Sub()
{
   set C = ##class(Sample.Person).%OpenId(1)
   write !, "C in Sub: ", C.Name
}

ClassMethod JobSub()
{
   set D = ##class(Sample.Person).%OpenId(1)
   set ^JobSubD = D.Name
}

}

Calling the Main() method produces these results:

1. The initial %OpenId() call loads the instance object into memory. The A variable references this object and you can modify the loaded object through this variable.

      set A = ##class(Sample.Person).%OpenId(1)
      write "A: ", A.Name
   

   

   A: Uhles,Norbert F.

      set A.Name = "David"
      write !, "A after set: ", A.Name
   

   

   A after set: David

2. The second %OpenId() call does not reload the object from the database and does not overwrite the changes made using variable A. Instead, variable B references the same object as variable A.

      set B = ##class(Sample.Person).%OpenId(1)
      write !, "B: ", B.Name
   

   

   B: David

3. The third %OpenId() call, in the Sub() method, also references the previously loaded object. This method is part of the same InterSystems IRIS process as the Main() method. Variable C references the same object as variables A and B, even though those variables are not available within the scope of this method. At the end of the Sub() method, the process returns back to the Main() method, the variable C is destroyed, and variables A and B are back in scope.

      do ..Sub()
   

   

   ClassMethod Sub()
   {
      set C = ##class(Sample.Person).%OpenId(1)
      write !, "C in Sub: ", C.Name
   }

   

   C in Sub: David

4. The fourth %OpenId() call, in the JobSub() method, is run in a separate InterSystems IRIS process by using the JOB command. This new process loads a new instance object into memory, and variable D references this new object.

      job ..JobSub()
      hang 1
      write !, "D in JobSub: ", ^JobSubD
      kill ^JobSubD
   

   

   ClassMethod JobSub()
   {
      set D = ##class(Sample.Person).%OpenId(1)
      set ^JobSubD = D.Name
   }

   

   D in JobSub: Uhles,Norbert F.

5. The fifth %OpenId() call occurs after deleting all variables (A and B) that reference the loaded object in the original process, thereby removing that object from memory. As with the previous %OpenId() call, this call also loads a new instance object into memory, and variable E references this object.

      kill A, B
      set E = ##class(Sample.Person).%OpenId(1)
      write !, "E:", E.Name

   

   E: Uhles,Norbert F.

To force a reload of an object being loaded multiple times, you can use the %Reload() method. Reloading the object reverts any changes made to the object that were not saved. Any previously assigned variables reference the reloaded version. For example:

 set A = ##class(Sample.Person).%OpenId(1)
 write "A: ", A.Name // A: Uhles,Norbert F.
 
 set A.Name = "David"
 write !, "A after set: ", A.Name // David
 
 set B = ##class(Sample.Person).%OpenId(1)
 write !, "B before reload: ", B.Name // David

 do B.%Reload()
 write !, "B after reload: ", B.Name // Uhles,Norbert F.
 write !, "A after reload: ", A.Name // Uhles,Norbert F.

Concurrency

The %OpenId() method takes an optional concurrency argument as input. This argument specifies the concurrency level (type of locks) that should be used to open the object instance.

If the %OpenId() method is unable to acquire a lock on an object, it fails.

To raise or lower the current concurrency setting for an object, reopen it with %OpenId() and specify a different concurrency level. For example,

 set person = ##class(Sample.Person).%OpenId(6,0)

opens person with a concurrency of 0 and the following effectively upgrades the concurrency to 4:

 set person = ##class(Sample.Person).%OpenId(6,4)

Specifying a concurrency level of 3 (shared, retained lock) or 4 (shared, exclusive lock) forces a reload of the object when opening it. For more information on the possible object concurrency levels, see Specifying Concurrency Options.

The %DeleteId() method deletes an object that is stored within a database, including any stream data associated with the object. The signature of this method is as follows:

classmethod %DeleteId(id As %String, concurrency As %Integer = -1) as %Status

Where:

• id is the ID of the object to open.

• concurrency is the concurrency level (locking) used when deleting the object.

For example:

Set sc = ##class(MyApp.MyClass).%DeleteId(id)

%DeleteId() returns a %StatusOpens in a new tab value indicating whether the object was deleted or not.

%DeleteId() calls the %OnDelete() callback method (if present) before deleting the object. %OnDelete() returns a %StatusOpens in a new tab value; if %OnDelete() returns an error value, then the object will not be deleted, the current transaction is rolled back, and %DeleteId() returns an error value.

%DeleteId() calls the %OnAfterDelete() callback method (if present) after deleting the object. This call occurs immediately after %DeleteData() is called, provided that %DeleteData() does not return an error. If %OnAfterDelete() returns an error, then the current transaction is rolled back, and %DeleteId() returns an error value.

Lastly, %DeleteId() calls the %OnDeleteFinally() callback method, if present. This callback method is called after the transaction has completed and the status of the deletion has been finalized.

Note that the %DeleteId() method has no effect on any object instances in memory.

You can also use the %Delete() method, which requires an OID rather than an ID. An OID is a permanent identifier unique to the database that includes both the ID and the class name of the object. For more details, see Identifiers for Saved Objects: ID and OID.

The %DeleteExtent() method deletes every object (and subclass of object) within its extent. Specifically it iterates through the entire extent and invokes the %Delete() method on each instance of the object. By default, it calls the %KillExtent() method when all instances are successfully deleted.

The signature of this method is as follows:

classmethod %DeleteExtent(concurrency As %Integer = -1, ByRef deletecount, ByRef instancecount, pInitializeExtent As %Integer = 1, Output errorLog As %Status) as %Status

Where:

• concurrency is the concurrency level (locking) used when deleting the object.

• deletecount is the number of instances deleted.

• instancecount is the original number of instances.

• pInitializeExtent determines whether to call %KillExtent() when the extent is empty.

  • A value of 0 indicates that %KillExtent() will not be called. Some empty globals may remain, as well as the ID counter, if it exists.

  • A value of 1 indicates that %KillExtent() will be called, but the default stream global will not be deleted. This is the default.

  • A value of 2 indicates that %KillExtent() will be called, and the default stream global will be deleted.

  Note:

  If the globals used by the extent are not exclusively used by the extent, some globals may remain even if %KillExtent() is called.

• errorLog is used to return any applicable errors.

For example:

Set sc = ##class(MyApp.MyClass).%DeleteExtent(-1, .deletecount, .instancecount, 2, .errorLog)

The %KillExtent() method directly deletes the globals that store an extent of a class, its subextents (subclasses), and its child extents (extents of classes that have a child relationship of the class). The default stream storage global is optionally deleted. %KillExtent() does not invoke the %Delete() method and performs no referential integrity actions.

The signature of this method is as follows:

classmethod %KillExtent(pDirect As %Integer = 1, killstreams As %Boolean = 0) as %Status

Where:

• pDirect determines whether the filing timestamps are also deleted from the ^OBJ.DSTIME global. This is used in InterSystems IRIS Business Intelligence. See Keeping the Cubes Current. The default is 1.

• killstreams determines whether the default stream global is deleted. The default is 0.

For example:

Set sc = ##class(MyApp.MyClass).%KillExtent(1, 0)