Clarifying version of SQL Server Management Studio and inability to use certain functions

Question

Hello

When I open Management Studio it tells me I'm in version 18.7.1

However when I tried to use the STRING_AGG function earlier in a query I got this error message:

'STRING_AGG' is not a recognized built-in function name.

I assumed that as I appeared to have MS 2018 functions like this would work.

However I then clicked on 'help' and 'about' and it says, under SQL Server Management Studio that I'm on:

15.0.18358.0

Please can you advise what upgrade I should be asking IT to move me onto in order to let me to actually use 2018?

Either that or am I doing something silly and obviously wrong and should be able to use the function (I used the correct syntax).

Thanks

Answer 1

I think that the availability of functions is determined by the version of SQL Server, not by Management Studio only.

Try executing SELECT @@VERSION to check the version of SQL Server. Which value did you get?

Answer 2

Hi WillFaulkner-2982,

Happy to see you find the right direction.The aggregate function STRING_AGG applies to SQL Server 2017 (14.x) and later.

Actually the SSMS 18.7.1 is the latest general availability (GA) version of SSMS.(18.7.1 is Release number, and 15.0.18358.0 is Build number)

Best Regards,
Cris