SQL Server
BEGIN TRANSACTION
BEGIN TRANSACTION represents a point at which the data referenced by a connection is logically and physically consistent. If errors are encountered, all data modifications made after the BEGIN TRANSACTION can be rolled back to return the data to this known state of consistency. Each transaction lasts until either it completes without errors and COMMIT TRANSACTION is issued to make the modifications a permanent part of the database, or errors are encountered and all modifications are erased with a ROLLBACK TRANSACTION statement.
ROLLBACK TRANSACTION
Rolls back an explicit or implicit transaction to the beginning of the transaction, or to a savepoint inside the transaction. You can use ROLLBACK TRANSACTION to erase all data modifications made from the start of the transaction or to a savepoint. It also frees resources held by the transaction.
COMMIT TRANSACTION
Marks the end of a successful implicit or explicit transaction. If @@TRANCOUNT is 1, COMMIT TRANSACTION makes all data modifications performed since the start of the transaction a permanent part of the database, frees the resources held by the transaction, and decrements @@TRANCOUNT to 0. If @@TRANCOUNT is greater than 1, COMMIT TRANSACTION decrements @@TRANCOUNT only by 1 and the transaction stays active.
Example
begin transaction
update table1
set field1='a'
if @@ERROR <> 0
begin
rollback transaction
RAISERROR ('Error table1',16,1)
return -1
end
update table2
set field3='a'
if @@ERROR <> 0
begin
rollback transaction
RAISERROR ('Error table2',16,1)
return -1
end
commit transaction