Less T, more SQL
The new SQL Server is coming soon . Fortunately, on the day of release, there will be more novelties than on the last iPhone release, so we shouldn't be disappointed. As a fan of pure SQL in T-SQL dialect, I am particularly glad to see IS [NOT] DISTINCT FROM predicate in our toolbox. I remember my training sessions for beginners when I showed examples of set logic fundamentals in T-SQL and the feeling of participation in a magic trick. I remember pieces of production code, when using pure SQL spells introduced simplicity and elegance into the product. The declarative side of T-SQL makes my programming experience so different, and so intellectually satisfying... It's like touching something ethereal or spiritual. Using imperative logic to achieve a goal - because of performance issues, time pressure, whatever - for me as a SQL developer, rarely comes without a fight. I know - there are loops, ifs, and counters under the hood, and we need indexes, but using pure SQL, f...