KQL for the SQL Professional
Proposed session for SQLBits 2026TL; DR
KQL look like SQL in some ways, and in others obviously isn't. We'll look at the similarities and differences and use our expertise in SQL to get familiar with this new query language quickly
Session Details
If you're just getting into using Data Explorer then you'll have run across the language it uses, KQL. It looks like SQL, somewhat, but it isn't. Just similar enough to be confusing.
In this session we'll look at KQL from the view of a SQL professional, highlight the places where it differs from SQL and use the similarities to help learn it.
In this session we'll look at KQL from the view of a SQL professional, highlight the places where it differs from SQL and use the similarities to help learn it.
3 things you'll get out of this session
Learn the places where SQL and KQL work the same
Identify the places KQL's behaviour differs from SQL's behaviour
Get more comfortable writing KQL
Speakers
Gail Shaw's other proposed sessions for 2026
All about Indexes - Part 1 - 2026
All about Indexes - Part 2 - 2026
Identifying the worst performing queries in a DB, with Query Store - 2026
On Transactions and Atomic Operations - 2026
Parameter Sniffing vs Parameter Sensitive Plan Optimization - 2026
Transaction Log Internals, unplugged - 2026