What is the difference between a stored procedure and a function?

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Accepted Answer

Stored procedures are precompiled SQL queries stored in the database, while functions are reusable blocks of code that return a value.

Stored procedures are stored in the database and can perform multiple operations, while functions are standalone blocks of code.
Functions return a value, while stored procedures do not necessarily have to return a value.
Stored procedures can be called explicitly, while functions can be used in SQL queries directly.
Stored procedures can have input and output parameters, while functions can only have input parameters.
Examples: Stored procedure for updating employee details, function to calculate average salary.

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