In computer programming, a transaction usually means a sequence of information exchange and related work (such as database updating) that is treated as a unit for the purposes of satisfying a request and for
ensuring database integrity. For a transaction to be completed and database changes to made permanent, a transaction has to be completed in its entirety. A typical transaction is a catalog merchandise order phoned in by a customer
and entered into a computer by a customer representative. The order transaction involves checking an inventory database, confirming that the item is available, placing the order, and confirming that the order has been placed and the
expected time of shipment. If we view this as a single transaction, then all of the steps must be completed before the transaction is successful and the database is actually changed to reflect the new order. If something happens before
the transaction is successfully completed, any changes to the database must be kept track of so that they can be undone.
A program that manages or oversees the sequence of events that are part of a transaction is sometimes called a transaction monitor. Transactions are supported by SQL, the standard database user and programming interface. When
a transaction completes successfully, database changes are said to be committed; when a transaction does not complete, changes are rolled back. In IBM's CICS product, a transaction is a unit of application data processing that
results from a particular type of transaction request. In CICS, an instance of a particular transaction request by a computer operator or user is called a task.
Less frequently and in other computer contexts, a transaction may have a different meaning. For example, in IBM mainframe operating system batch processing, a transaction is a job or a job step.