SQL Stored Procedures for SQL Server

What is a Stored Procedure?

A stored procedure is a prepared SQL code that you can save, so the code can be reused over and over again.

So if you have an SQL query that you write over and over again, save it as a stored procedure, and then just call it to execute it.

You can also pass parameters to a stored procedure, so that the stored procedure can act based on the parameter value(s) that is passed.

Stored Procedure Syntax

CREATE PROCEDURE procedure_name
AS
sql_statement
GO;

Execute a Stored Procedure

EXEC procedure_name;

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Demo Database

Below is a selection from the "Customers" table in the Northwind sample database:

CustomerID	CustomerName	ContactName	Address	City	PostalCode	Country
1	Alfreds Futterkiste	Maria Anders	Obere Str. 57	Berlin	12209	Germany
2	Ana Trujillo Emparedados y helados	Ana Trujillo	Avda. de la Constitución 2222	México D.F.	05021	Mexico
3	Antonio Moreno Taquería	Antonio Moreno	Mataderos 2312	México D.F.	05023	Mexico
4	Around the Horn	Thomas Hardy	120 Hanover Sq.	London	WA1 1DP	UK
5	Berglunds snabbköp	Christina Berglund	Berguvsvägen 8	Luleå	S-958 22	Sweden

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Stored Procedure Example

The following SQL statement creates a stored procedure named "SelectAllCustomers" that selects all records from the "Customers" table:

Example

CREATE PROCEDURE SelectAllCustomers
AS
SELECT * FROM Customers
GO;

Execute the stored procedure above as follows:

Example

EXEC SelectAllCustomers;

Stored Procedure With One Parameter

The following SQL statement creates a stored procedure that selects Customers from a particular City from the "Customers" table:

Example

CREATE PROCEDURE SelectAllCustomers @City nvarchar(30)
AS
SELECT * FROM Customers WHERE City = @City
GO;

Execute the stored procedure above as follows:

Example

EXEC SelectAllCustomers @City = 'London';

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Stored Procedure With Multiple Parameters

Setting up multiple parameters is very easy. Just list each parameter and the data type separated by a comma as shown below.

The following SQL statement creates a stored procedure that selects Customers from a particular City with a particular PostalCode from the "Customers" table:

Example

CREATE PROCEDURE SelectAllCustomers @City nvarchar(30), @PostalCode nvarchar(10)
AS
SELECT * FROM Customers WHERE City = @City AND PostalCode = @PostalCode
GO;

Execute the stored procedure above as follows:

Example

EXEC SelectAllCustomers @City = 'London', @PostalCode = 'WA1 1DP';