bitbucket-25253 (1/25/2014)
1). A view is a virtual table that consists of columns from one or more tables. Though it is similar to a table, it is not stored in the database.
Unless it's an indexed view, which is fully materialized.
2). Functions are computed values and cannot perform permanent environmental changes to SQL Server (i.e. no INSERT or UPDATE statements allowed).
At least not directly or using anything conventional or proper. There is a hack where you can use OPENROWSET to run a proc from a function and that proc can make changes to tables. Since you can't make it take parameters (no dynamic SQL or global temp tables allowed in functions), I can't see much use in doing such a thing unless it was to preload some other variables (scalar or table valued) based on conditions outside of the function.
I could maybe see using it to filter the return of something like sp_Who2 or sp_Lock but I'm also thinking there would be better ways to do that since OPENROWSET requires some pretty hefty privs.
Of course, since that's also undocumented functionality, it could change but I think MS is too busy coming up with new features and probably wouldn't touch this "feature".
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.