SQL Server 2016 and SQL Server 2017 introduce several new functions that can help developers to be more productive and efficient. Additionally, by removing limitations in some existing functions, their scope of usage has been enlarged. SQL Server now contains more than 300 built-in functions. Here is the list of new or changed functions and expressions in SQL Server 2016:

• Two new string functions: STRING_SPLIT and STRING_ESCAPE
• New date function and new expression: DATEFDIFF_BIG and AT TIME ZONE
• Four new system functions: COMPRESS, DECOMPRESS, SESSION_CONTEXT, and CURRENT_TRANSACTION_ID
• Enhancements to the HASHBYTES cryptographic function
• Four JSON related functions: ISSJON, JSON_VALUE, JSON_QUERY, and JSON_MODIFY, and one new rowset function, OPENJSON

SQL Server 2017 has introduced these string functions: STRING_AGG, TRIM, CONCATE_WS, and TRANSLATE.