DBI, savepoints, transactions, and AutoCommit

I understand the concepts of savepoints, and I have played with them
in psql enough to understand that yes, as the fine manual says, they
must be inside a transaction to work. But how does this relate to DBI
and DBD::Pg with AutoCommit off? I learned the slow way that if
AutoCommit is disabled, you don't issue a BEGIN WORK because that
looks like trying to start a transaction inside a transaction. But I
I have AutoCommit off and try SAVEPOINT xyzzy, it tells me savepoints
must be inside a transaction. And of course, I can't get inside a
transaction because I can't issue a BEGIN WORK because I am already
inside a transaction.

Is this a case of what's sauce for the goose not being sauce for the
gander?

How do I use savepoints in DBI/DBD::Pg without enabling AutoCommit?
Do I turn AutoCommit on, BEGIN WORK, SAVEPOINT xyzzy, and disable
AutoCommit again? That sure doesn't sound reasonable.

(I also have tis problem with SQLite, so I suspect it's a brain
failure on my part rather than the rest of the world conspiring to
confuse me, which isn't even very hard to do.)

--
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Felix Finch: scarecrow repairman & rocket surgeon / felix(at)crowfix(dot)com
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I've found a solution to Fermat's Last Theorem but I see I've run out of room o