Why We Use Stored Procedure In SQL Server ? What’s the best approach to retrieve data from a database?

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Understanding Stored Procedures in SQL

A Stored Procedure is a precompiled collection of SQL statements that are stored within a database and can accept input parameters. It allows for the reuse of SQL code, streamlining repetitive tasks and enhancing code efficiency.

Instead of repeatedly writing the same SQL query, you can save it as a stored procedure and call it whenever needed. Parameters can also be passed to a stored procedure, enabling dynamic execution based on input values.

Key Features of Stored Procedures:

  • Stored Procedures are executed like SQL statements but offer the advantage of being stored for later use.
  • They can optionally accept parameters, enhancing their flexibility and reusability.

Example Syntax:

CREATE PROCEDURE <ProcedureName>
@Param1 INT = NULL,
@Param2 VARCHAR(50) = NULL
AS
— SQL Statement
GO;

Advantages of Stored Procedures:

  1. Improved Performance: Compiled once and executed directly from the database.
  2. Enhanced Security: Database access can be restricted to stored procedures.
  3. Cleaner Application Code: Keeps SQL logic in the database layer.
  4. Easy Maintenance: Altering a stored procedure doesn’t require restarting the application server.

Disadvantages of Stored Procedures:

  1. Challenging Testing: Errors can only be caught during runtime.
  2. Limited Debugging: Debugging stored procedures is complex.
  3. Version Control Limitations: Cannot be directly managed in systems like Git or SVN.
  4. Migration Issues: Not always compatible with newer database versions or different database types.
  5. Dependency on DBAs/Developers: Writing and maintaining stored procedures require specialized skills.
  6. Object Conversion Required: Result sets need to be mapped to objects using an Object Mapper.
  7. No Object-Oriented Features: Requires additional boilerplate code.
  8. Limited Audit Logging: Out-of-the-box audit logging is unsupported.

Despite these drawbacks, stored procedures play a critical role in improving database performance, security, and code organization. For more details, check out the full article.