Stored Procedure vs Function in PL/SQL

When it comes to PL/SQL programming, stored procedures and functions are both important tools that offer various functionalities. However, there are some key differences between the two:

Stored Procedure:

• Stored procedures are blocks of code that can perform one or more tasks.
• They can be used to execute SQL queries, perform calculations, handle transactions, etc.
• Stored procedures do not return any value by default, but can have output parameters to return values.
• They are generally used for procedural programming and code reusability.

Function:

• Functions are also blocks of code that perform a specific task.
• They always return a value and are designed to be used in SQL statements or expressions.
• Functions cannot perform DML operations like INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, etc.
• They are primarily used for calculating and returning a single value.

In summary, stored procedures are more versatile and can perform a wider range of tasks, while functions are specialized for returning values and are best suited for calculations and data manipulation within SQL statements.