What are the different types of ResultSet in java?

A ResultSet is a Java object that contains the results of executing an SQL query. In other words, it contains the rows that satisfy the conditions of the query. The data stored in a ResultSet object is retrieved through a set of get methods that allows access to the various columns of the current row. The ResultSet.next method is used to move to the next row of the ResultSet, making it the current row.

The general form of a result set is a table with column headings and the corresponding values returned by a query. For example, if your query is SELECT a, b, c FROM Table1, your result set will have the following form:

a b c
---------- ------------ --------------------
12345 Cupertino 2459723.495
83472 Redmond 1.0
83492 Boston 35069473.43

Types of Result Sets

Results sets may have different levels of functionality. For example, they may be scrollable or nonscrollable. A scrollable result set has a cursor that moves both forward and backward and can be moved to a particular row. Also, result sets may be sensitive or insensitive to changes made while they are open; that is, they may or may not reflect changes to column values that are modified in the database. A developer should always keep in mind the fact that adding capabilities to a ResultSet object incurs additional overhead, so it should be done only as necessary.

Based on the capabilities of scrollability and sensitivity to changes, there are three types of result sets available with the JDBC 2.0 core API. The following constants, defined in the ResultSet interface, are used to specify these three types of result sets:

1. TYPE_FORWARD_ONLY

The result set is nonscrollable; its cursor moves forward only, from top to bottom.
The view of the data in the result set depends on whether the DBMS materializes results incrementally.

2. TYPE_SCROLL_INSENSITIVE

The result set is scrollable: Its cursor can move forward or backward and can be moved to a particular row or to a row whose position is relative to its current position.
The result set generally does not show changes to the underlying database that are made while it is open. The membership, order, and column values of rows are typically fixed when the result set is created.

3. TYPE_SCROLL_SENSITIVE

The result set is scrollable; its cursor can move forward or backward and can be moved to a particular row or to a row whose position is relative to its current position.
The result set is sensitive to changes made while it is open. If the underlying column values are modified, the new values are visible, thus providing a dynamic view of the underlying data. The membership and ordering of rows in the result set may be fixed or not, depending on the implementation.