Understanding Double Handling in Databases: Causes & Consequences

Double handling occurs when items within a database are updated in more than one logical sequence. This can lead to errors and data inconsistency. For example, consider a database that stores information about employees. If one department updates an employee's salary without updating the employee's job title, this could lead to inconsistencies in the database.

Double handling can also occur when data is processed by multiple systems. For example, if an order is processed by both the sales and accounting departments, this could lead to duplicate entries or other errors.

To avoid double handling, it is important to have a clear understanding of the business processes that are being performed and to ensure that data is only updated in one logical sequence. It is also important to have controls in place to prevent duplicate entries and other errors.