In SQL and relational databases, what do we call a stored program attached to a table or view that automatically fires in response to DML events (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE)?

Introduction / Context:
Automation in databases often relies on server-side programs that react to data changes. These programs help enforce integrity, transform data, or audit changes close to the data.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The mechanism is attached to a table or view.
• It fires automatically on INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE events.
• It runs inside the same transaction as the triggering statement.

Concept / Approach:
A trigger is a stored routine associated with a table or view that executes in response to DML events. Triggers can be BEFORE or AFTER (depending on RDBMS), row-level or statement-level, and are used for auditing, denormalized updates, validation, and enforcing complex constraints not expressible with CHECK or foreign keys.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
RDBMS documentation consistently defines triggers as the event-driven database programs attached to tables/views.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Pseudofile / Rowset macro / Auto-procedure: Not standard SQL terms.
Embedded SELECT statement: A query inside another, not an event-driven routine.

Common Pitfalls:
Overusing triggers for business logic that belongs in the application; triggers should be reserved for data-integrity concerns or unavoidable side effects.

Final Answer:
Trigger