I want to test if a transaction is started/running and if not, start it
explicitly. So I want to test if it's running.

InTransaction:
It returns true only after StartTransaction has been called. If
StartTransaction has not been called it will return false, even if an
implicit logical transaction is in effect.
So this is not realiable since it may have started implicitly........
(from the help file)
TransactionIsActive:
It is different to InTransaction in that it will still return false even if
StartTransaction has been called.
So this is unreliable since even an explicit start will not return
true.......

Started:
Whether it returns True or False, an active logical transaction could
nevertheless be in progress.
So this is unreliable since it can return true or false seemingly on a
whim!!!!

IS THERE A RELIABLE WAY TO DETECT IF A TRANSACTION IS STARTED WHETHER OR NOT
IT HAS BEEN STARTETD IMPLICITLY OR EXPLICITLY???

Is it that the only way to do this is to use a try block on the explicit
StartTransaction method? - surely there is a property to tell me the truth
here?
OR are the documents wrong here?

regards
Alan McDonald