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Data Locking In a Web Application?
An anonymous reader writes "We recently developed a multi-user application and deployed it to our users. This is a web-based application that used to be a Windows application which was written in Delphi using Paradox databases for the client database. In the Windows application, we used the ability in Paradox to lock records which would prevent users from editing the same data. However, in the web application we did not add in a locking facility for the data due to its disconnected nature (at least that's how I was shot down). Now our users are asking to have the locking back, as they are stepping on each others' edits from time to time. I have been assigned to look at best practices for web application locking of data, and figured I would post the question here to see what others have done or to get some pointers to locations for best practices on doing locking with in a web application. I have an idea of how to do this, but don't want to taint the responses so I'll leave it off for the time being."
Time to move your application to a Lotus Notes DB. At least that platform has handling for it.
Either design your web app so two users won't step on each other, or design in a way of dealing with it... such as comparing a user's changes from the original form, and submitting those, instead of "overwriting all other changes"
Or depending on the app... treat it like any version control system, keep both sets of conflicting changes, and let the users resolve them a bit later, after your app informs them of the conflict.