A stored procedure can have any number of (including zero) input or output parameters and can pass a return value. You can either hard code parameter values as specific data values or use a parameter marker (a question mark '?'), as shown below.

This topic covers regular stored procedures; extended stored procedures are covered in the general database topics:

• Stored procedureВ В В One or more SQL statements that have been precompiled into a single executable procedure.

• Extended stored procedureВ В В C or C++ DLLs written to the SQLВ Server Open Data Services API for extended stored procedures. The Open Data Services API extends the capabilities of stored procedures to include C or C++ code.

The OLE DB provider for SQLВ Server (SQLOLEDB) supports the following mechanisms that stored procedures use to return data:

• Every SELECT statement in the procedure generates a result set.

• The procedure can return data through output parameters.

• The procedure can have an integer return code.

Note
You cannot use stored procedures with the OLE DB provider for Jet because that provider does not support stored procedures; only constants are allowed in query strings.

Reference

Concepts