code: public boolean noteTransition (Class<?> clazz, final String name)
          throws PersistenceException
      {
          final String cname = clazz.getName();
          return executeUpdate(new Operation<Boolean>() {
              public Boolean invoke (Connection conn, DatabaseLiaison liaison)
                  throws SQLException, PersistenceException
              {
                  PreparedStatement stmt = null;
                  try {
                      stmt = conn.prepareStatement(
                          "insert into " + liaison.tableSQL("TRANSITIONS") + " (" +
                          liaison.columnSQL("CLASS") + ", " + liaison.columnSQL("NAME") +
                          ", " + liaison.columnSQL("APPLIED") +
                          ") values (?, ?, ?)");
                      stmt.setString(1, cname);
                      stmt.setString(2, name);
                      stmt.setTimestamp(3, new Timestamp(System.currentTimeMillis()));
                      JDBCUtil.checkedUpdate(stmt, 1);
                      return true;
  
                  } catch (SQLException sqe) {
                      if (liaison.isDuplicateRowException(sqe)) {
                          return false;
                      } else {
                          throw sqe;
                      }
  
                  } finally {
                      JDBCUtil.close(stmt);
                  }
              }
          });
      }
docs: Note in the database that a particular transition has been applied.
  
  @return true if the transition was noted, false if it could not be noted because another
  process noted it first.