SQL Azure: New features in August 2011

Microsoft releases updates to SQL Azure every quarter and in August 2011 they have released a new update with a some new features and 14 new functions. The new features are:

– SPARSE columns
– THROW statement
– Ad-hoc Query Paging Implementation
– Improved Spatial Type support
– Increased Spatial Precision

The new functions are: Conversion functions

– PARSE
– TRY_PARSE

Date and time functions

– DATEFROMPARTS
– DATETIME2FROMPARTS
– DATETIMEFROMPARTS
– DATETIMEOFFSETFROMPARTS
– EOMONTH
– SMALLDATETIMEFROMPARTS
– TIMEFROMPARTS

Logical functions

– CHOOSE
– IIF

String functions

– CONCAT
– FORMAT

But wait a minute! This list of features and functions looks like the list of features that are coming in next version of SQL server, codename Denali! That means that SQL Azure actually is a head of Denali in some areas.   If you are interested in SQL Azure or SQL server, feel free to contact any of our SQL server consultants and we will help you.