5 New T-SQL Enhancements in SQL Server 2022! #SQL #AdvancedSQL #InterviewPrep

Unlock powerful new T-SQL capabilities that simplify code and boost performance in SQL Server 2022!

GREATEST & LEAST Functions

Explanation: These functions return the maximum or minimum across multiple columns, replacing verbose CASE expressions

Example:

SELECT
GREATEST(Price, DiscountedPrice) AS MaxPrice,
LEAST(StockOnHand, StockReserved) AS MinStock
FROM Products;

DATE_BUCKET Function

Explanation: Groups a date or datetime value into evenly spaced “buckets” (e.g., 15-minute intervals) for easier time-series analysis

Example:

SELECT
DATE_BUCKET('1 HOUR', OrderDate) AS OrderHour,
COUNT(*) AS OrdersCount
FROM SalesOrders
GROUP BY DATE_BUCKET('1 HOUR', OrderDate);

GENERATE_SERIES Function

Explanation: Returns a table of sequential values (numeric or datetime), useful for creating calendar tables or filling gaps in data

Example:

SELECT value AS Day
FROM GENERATE_SERIES('2025-01-01', '2025-01-07', INTERVAL '1 DAY');

STRING_SPLIT Enhancements

Explanation: Now returns an optional ordinal column indicating each token’s position, making it easier to preserve original order
​
Example:

SELECT
TRIM(value) AS Tag,
ordinal
FROM STRING_SPLIT('SQL,Azure,2022', ',', 1);

TRIM Improvements & IS DISTINCT FROM

Explanation:

TRIM: Supports trimming both leading/trailing characters or whitespace without nested calls

IS DISTINCT FROM: Provides null-safe comparisons—treats NULL as a comparable value, so 1 IS DISTINCT FROM NULL returns TRUE

Example:

-- Trim specific characters

SELECT TRIM(BOTH '#' FROM '#Promo#') AS PromoCode;

-- Null-safe comparison

SELECT CASE WHEN Price IS DISTINCT FROM Discount THEN 'Differs' ELSE 'Same or Both NULL' END
FROM Products;

#SQL #AdvancedSQL #SQLServer2022 #TSQL #DateBucket #GenerateSeries #StringSplit #Trim #IsDistinctFrom #InterviewPrep