How to use MySQL stored procedures

· Category: SQL & Databases

Short answer

A stored procedure is a precompiled collection of SQL statements stored in the database that can accept parameters and return results.

Steps

  1. Create a procedure:
CREATE PROCEDURE GetUserById(IN userId INT)
BEGIN
  SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = userId;
END;
  1. Call it: CALL GetUserById(1);
  2. Use IN, OUT, and INOUT parameters.
  3. Include control flow with IF, CASE, LOOP, and CURSOR.
  4. Drop with DROP PROCEDURE IF EXISTS GetUserById;

Tips

  • Stored procedures reduce network round trips for multi-step operations.
  • They provide a security layer by restricting direct table access.

Common issues

  • Debugging stored procedures is harder than application code.
  • Overuse of business logic in stored procedures creates vendor lock-in and complicates testing.r