Microsoft Windows Azure SQL Database
supports some, but not all, of the programmability enhancements made in the SQL
Server 2012 Database Engine. This topic describes which SQL Server 2012
programmability enhancements are supported in Windows Azure SQL Database.
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OFFSET … FETCH: Supported in ORDER BY clause.
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Error Handling: THROW: Supported
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Metadata Discovery: Windows Azure SQL Database supports the use of management
functions sp_describe_first_result_set and sp_describe_undeclared_parameters in
place of SET FMTONLY to determine the format of a response without actually
running the query are not supported.
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EXEC … WITH RESULT
SETS: Supported in enforcing contracts for result
sets for the EXEC command.
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New Conversion
Functions:
Windows Azure SQL Database supports TRY_CAST
for converting for all types, and it supports FORMAT, PARSE, and TRY_PARSE for
converting to and from strings.
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New String Functions: The CONCAT string function is supported in Windows Azure SQL
Database.
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New Date and Time
Related Functions: Windows Azure SQL
Database supports DATEFROMPARTS, DATETIME2FROMPARTS, DATETIMEFROMPARTS, DATETIMEOFFSETFROMPARTS,
EOMONTH, SMALLDATETIMEFROMPARTS, and TIMEFROMPARTS.
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New Logical Functions:
Windows Azure SQL Database supports IIF and
CHOOSE.
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New Spatial Features: Windows Azure SQL Database supports enhancements to spatial data
types; new and updated methods and aggregates for geometry and geography;
improved precision, enhancements to the geography type; spatial performance
improvements; spatial helper stored procedures; support for persisted computed
columns; and changes in the client-side spatial programming library.
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Query Optimizer: The enhanced query optimizer hints, FORCESEEK and FORCESCAN, are
supported.
