Re: Python client + select = locked resources???

On Monday 29 June 2009 09:26:24 am Craig Ringer wrote:
> Try connecting to the database with psql and running
>   "select * from pg_stat_activity"
> while the web app is running. You should see only "IDLE" or working
> connections, never idle in transaction. If you have anything idle in a
> transaction for more than a few moments you WILL have problems, because
> if those transactions have SELECTed from the table you're trying to
> alter they'll hold share locks that will prevent ALTER TABLE from
> grabbing an exclusive lock on the table.

I used psql to run the query "select * from pg_stat_activity;" and it shows
three (3) lines , the select statement, <IDLE>, and the last one is <IDLE> in
transaction. No one else is using the database because it's a on my machine.
So can you explain why I have an "<IDLE> in transaction" listed and does it
mean I can't alter the table from some other program like pgAdmin3???

Also "commit" or "rollback" gives a warning "there is no transaction in
progress". So what gives?

--
John Fabiani