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The example of Miss Quackfaster and her Boss' car-fax is not only contrived, but also simplistic. We used it to explain the basic mechanism (FIXME). Observe that
- users are spontaneous creatures
- often users don't know what they are doing
- users change their corresponding minds
- units of work can be very complex, especially if data is supposed to be committed together
All this can make single transactions or immediate saving problematic. A less simplistic, more realistic example is that of Miss Quackfaster trying to order an electric pencil sharpener and a lunch for her boss for immediate delivery by the procurement group. Let's say, that, for technical reasons, procurement is supposed to be conducted in bulk, for as many items at once at possible. For her boss' lunch and pencil sharpener, Miss Quackfaster opens the central procurement form and
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All this takes place during a single transaction started in the Boss window. Note how complicated Miss Quackfaster's way through the maze of decisions and forms is. Also note that
- all the orders belong together logically and are part of the same unit of work.
- one transaction can have multiple sub-transactions
Here is an illustration of Miss Quackfaster's procurement adventure:
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