Sometimes it's the little things
I feel like I'm piling on the posts of Louis and Peter but I have to say row constructors are one of the things that really has me excited about the release of SQL 2008. For those of you that aren't interested in reading the other posts, here's a quick example:
Pre SQL 2008 syntax:
INSERT dbo.myTable (col1, col2) VALUES (1, 'One');
INSERT dbo.myTable (col1, col2) VALUES (2, 'Two');
SQL 2008 syntax:
INSERT dbo.myTable (col1, col2) VALUES (1, 'One'), (2, 'Two');
Another great item that is included in SQL 2008 is variable initialization. Here's another quick example:
Pre SQL 2008 syntax:
DECLARE @myVariable INT;
SET @myVariable = 1;
SQL 2008 syntax:
DECLARE @myVariable INT = 1;
While these features haven't gotten the props of spatial data, intellisense, etc. I think they will impact my day to day coding the most. Anything that helps me express the same logic with less typing has my vote.
Speaking of intellisense, has anyone else been really bummed out about the implementation in CTP5? Maybe I've gotten spoiled by Red Gate's SQL Prompt but I just expected more. I'm hoping this functionality will be improving as we get closer to RTM.
If you haven't checked out SQL 2008 CTP5 yet Microsoft just made it even easier for you with the release of a VHD image. It's a great way to check things out without disturbing your current install. You can get it here.
Enjoy!