Understanding the Difference Between a Function and a Stored Procedure in .NET

Here's a concise comparison between SQL functions and SQL stored procedures with short examples to illustrate the differences:

SQL Function

Characteristics:

• Function returns a single value (scalar, table, or other).

• Function cannot perform modifications to the database, such as Create Table, Drop Table etc.

• Can be used in SQL statements like SELECT, WHERE, etc.

• Function must return a value.

• Supports input parameters only.

Example :

SQL Stored Procedure

Characteristics:

1. Does not have to return a value but can return multiple result sets, status codes, or output parameters.

2. Can perform modifications to the database (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE).

3. Cannot be used directly in SQL statements like SELECT, WHERE, etc.

4. Can manage transactions.

5. Supports input, output, and input/output parameters.

Example: