The last major improvements in the T-SQL language allowed for better processing of running totals and other similar window functions. This was already a boon and allowed developers to replace arcane cursors with high performance T-SQL. These improvements are never enough for the most performance conscious developers among us, and as such there were still voices requesting further incorporation of the ANSI SQL standards into the T-SQL implementation.
Notable additions to the T-SQL syntax include the ability to finally split comma-separated strings using a single function call, STRING_SPLIT(), instead of the previous hacky implementations using loops or the Common Language Runtime (CLR).
The sensible opposing syntax ...
