The DECLARE TRANSACTION defaults are the same as the defaults for the SET TRANSACTION statement. See the SET_TRANSACTION statement for complete information. In general, you should not rely on default transaction characteristics. Use explicit DECLARE TRANSACTION statements, specifying read/write, read-only, or batch-update options; a list of tables in the RESERVING clause; and a share mode and lock type for each table. The more specific you are in a DECLARE TRANSACTION statement, the more efficient your database operations will be. When a transaction starts using characteristics specified in a DECLARE TRANSACTION statement, any transaction characteristics unspecified in the DECLARE TRANSACTION statement take the SQL defaults. This is true even if the characteristics unspecified in DECLARE TRANSACTION were specified in an earlier SET or DECLARE TRANSACTION statement.