In MariaDB, we have a confusing problem where:
* The transaction_isolation option can be set in a configuration file, but it cannot be set dynamically.
* The tx_isolation system variable can be set dynamically, but it cannot be set in a configuration file.
Therefore, we have two different names for the same thing in different contexts. This is needlessly confusing, and it complicates the documentation. The same thing applys for transaction_read_only.
MySQL 5.7 solved this problem by making them into system variables. https://dev.mysql.com/doc/relnotes/mysql/5.7/en/news-5-7-20.html
This commit takes a similar approach by adding new system variables and marking the original ones as deprecated. This commit also resolves some legacy problems related to SET STATEMENT and transaction_isolation.
The transaction isolation levels READ COMMITTED and READ UNCOMMITTED
should behave similarly to the old deprecated setting
innodb_locks_unsafe_for_binlog=1, that is, avoid acquiring gap locks.
row_search_mvcc(): Reduce the scope of some variables, and clean up
the initialization and use of the variable set_also_gap_locks.