A function returns a value while a stored procedure doesn?t return a value.

One key difference between a function and a stored procedure in PL/SQL is the return type.

In PL/SQL, a function must return a value, while a stored procedure does not have a return type. Functions are designed to return a single value, and that value is specified in the function’s definition. On the other hand, stored procedures are meant to perform an action or a series of actions without necessarily returning a value.

Here’s a brief example to illustrate the difference:

-- Function example

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION calculate_area(radius NUMBER) RETURN NUMBER IS

pi CONSTANT NUMBER := 3.14;

area NUMBER;

BEGIN

area := pi * radius * radius;

RETURN area;

END;

— Procedure example
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE print_message(name VARCHAR2) IS
BEGIN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(‘Hello, ‘ || name || ‘!’);
END;

In the above examples, the calculate_area function calculates the area of a circle and returns the result, while the print_message procedure simply prints a greeting message without returning any value.