Stored Procedures
Stored procedures are precompiled collections of SQL statements and optional control-flow logic stored within a database management system (DBMS). They encapsulate database operations, allowing them to be executed as a single unit, often improving performance, security, and maintainability by reducing network traffic and centralizing business logic.
Developers should use stored procedures for complex transactional operations, data validation, and enforcing business rules directly in the database, which enhances security by limiting direct table access and boosts performance through execution plan caching. They are ideal for applications requiring high data integrity, such as financial systems or e-commerce platforms, where repetitive queries benefit from optimization.