Native Regex in T-SQL: Modernizing String Logic from Ground to Cloud

For years, SQL developers across on-premises and cloud environments have lacked a native, high-performance way to handle complex string patterns, often resorting to limited LIKE expressions or complex CLR workarounds.

In 2025, native Regular Expression capabilities were standardized across SQL Server 2025, Azure SQL Database, and Microsoft Fabric, providing a consistent pattern-matching experience across platforms.

This session deep-dives into demonstrating how to use the seven new native functions - including REGEXP_LIKE, REGEXP_REPLACE, and REGEXP_MATCHES - to solve real-world data challenges.

Attendees will learn how to significantly simplify their T-SQL codebase, enforce advanced data validation, and perform high-performance text parsing using a unified syntax that works consistently from on-premises SQL Server to cloud platforms.

Cross-Platform Consistency: Write a single regex pattern that runs identically in SQL Server 2025, Azure SQL , and Microsoft Fabric. Cleaner Code, Fewer Bugs: Replace complex multi-line string logic with concise, native regex functions. Powerful Parsing: Use Regex functions to turn messy text into structured data without external tools. Pragmatic Best Practices: Understand when regex is the right tool and when simpler T-SQL idioms may be faster.