What is the Difference Between Triggers and Stored Procedures?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main differences between triggers and stored procedures in SQL are as follows:
- Execution:
- Triggers run automatically when specific events occur, such as INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE operations on a table.
- Stored procedures are explicitly called by the user or application using statements like
EXEC,EXECUTE, or by specifying the procedure name.
- Parameters:
- Triggers cannot take input parameters.
- Stored procedures can take input parameters and return values.
- Transaction Statements:
- Triggers do not allow the use of transaction statements like BEGIN, COMMIT, ROLLBACK, and SAVEPOINT.
- Stored procedures allow the use of transaction statements.
- Nesting:
- Triggers can only be nested within a table.
- Stored procedures can be nested within another procedure or can call other procedures.
- Return Values:
- Triggers cannot return values.
- Stored procedures can return values.
In summary, triggers are automatically executed when specific events occur, and they cannot take input parameters, return values, or use transaction statements. Stored procedures, on the other hand, are explicitly called, can take input parameters, return values, and allow the use of transaction statements.
Comparative Table: Triggers vs Stored Procedures
Here is a table comparing the differences between triggers and stored procedures:
| Feature | Triggers | Stored Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A trigger is a special type of stored procedure that automatically executes when a specific event, such as INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE, occurs on a table. | A stored procedure is a collection of SQL statements written to perform specific tasks. It helps in code reusability and saves time and lines of code. |
| Invocation | Triggers are implicitly invoked when a triggering event occurs, such as DELETE, INSERT, or UPDATE. | Stored procedures are explicitly called by an application or user using commands like EXECUTE or the like. |
| Parameters | Triggers cannot take input parameters. | Stored procedures can accept parameters as inputs. |
| Return Values | Triggers cannot return values. | Stored procedures can return values. |
| Transaction Statements | Triggers cannot include transaction statements like COMMIT, ROLLBACK, and SAVEPOINT. | Stored procedures can include all transaction statements, such as COMMIT and ROLLBACK. |
| Nesting | You cannot define or call a trigger inside another trigger. | You can define or call procedures inside another procedure. |
In summary, triggers are automatically executed when specific events occur on a table and are mainly used to maintain referential integrity and record activities performed on a table. On the other hand, stored procedures are explicitly called by applications or users to perform specific tasks and can be used as modular programming, which means they can be created once, stored, and called multiple times as needed.
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