Here's an interesting thought on your "gotcha" - I'm 57 years old, been programming as a career for over 30 years, a lot of languages and I have no idea what the difference is.
But it's certainly not a universal question applicable to all programming languages.
Likewise, Clubber says in their post that their 'gotcha' question doesn't apply to most languages.
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/721090/what-is-the-diffe...
... in Pascal/Delphi.
You would be surprised how many bad applicants interviewers get. It's only gotten worse over the last 20 years.
Lol a bit touchy aren't we?
Like I said, it's not really relevant in today's languages. It was for a Delphi/Pascal position. If you do any type of database code (like T-SQL), you would also know it. If your experience is mainly in C type languages, everything is a function so it doesn't apply.
If you hired a guy for a Delphi position who didn't know the difference between a function and a procedure, you hired the wrong guy.
procedure Hello;
begin
ShowMessage ('Hello world!');
end;
function Double (Value: Integer) : Integer;
begin
Double := Value * 2;
end;
Words like functions/procedures tend to have different connotations across languages and once one crosses one's 15th language, and each having some 20 different keywords, it become difficult to remember what the exact connotation of a word is, in a specific language/framework. This is the most likely situation of the guy whose post I responded to.
The exception to the rule is, if you have been working quite a bit _recently_ on a specific language. You are presumably talking about this situation.
No. I just looked up other responses to your post. It's obvious you got exposed as being inexperienced (or an idiot), while posing to know the definitive with your "gotcha". Being inexperienced (or ignorant) is not a problem, but being cocky is.
Here's something to consider, Dennis. Instead of using any type of reasoning that maybe I'm interviewing for a language you aren't familiar with where functions and procedure differences matter, you decided to just go off the handle and call me inexperienced and/or an idiot. This is what we call in the hiring business a "huge red flag." I recommend maybe use some of that big brain you have and apply some deductive reasoning instead of just calling people names.
>Lol a bit touchy aren't we?
You lost your composure and decided to start calling names after this. I haven't asked it since the late 90s, early 2000s. It was a for a Delphi position. It's a bonehead easy question any Delphi developer who got to chapter 2 of any Delphi book would have understood. It's still an applicable question for a SQL developer and it's just as easy. I even showed you sample code. I don't see why you aren't getting it.
>I haven't asked it since the late 90s, early 2000s.
You overall gave the impression that you are currently asking it.
And a personal rhetorical question - aren't you too old to even state this 'gotcha' business _today_ about what you did in the past? What made you state it? If I gave you the benefit of doubt - that was slip, where you omitted the past tense.
(If I did that in the 90's I'd be a embarrassed to even mention it today.)
Yes, but you're the only one who threw a tantrum. Enjoy your career.
If you're asking this question (by virtue of the present-tense "is") in the year 2025 even though by your own admission
> it's not really relevant in today's languages.
then you aren't giving candidates a good impression. Even though I would have nailed this question I would have serious reservations about any job that would ask it in an interview because it means that the person interviewing me has more concern for legacy minutiae than broad technical knowledge or problem-solving skills.