Can you explain what stored procedures are in databases?

Stored procedures are pre-written and stored blocks of code in a database that perform specific operations with data. They allow encapsulating the logic of database interactions, which increases performance and security by reducing the number of requests transmitted between the application and the server.

Example of using a stored procedure in SQL:

CREATE PROCEDURE GetUserById (@UserId INT)
AS
BEGIN
    SELECT * FROM Users WHERE Id = @UserId;
END;

Calling the procedure:

EXEC GetUserById @UserId = 1;

Advantages:

• Improved performance through compilation and optimization on the server.
• Centralization of business logic.
• Enhanced security, as direct access to tables can be restricted.