A detailed blog exploring what's new in SSIS 2012
Part six of a eleven-part series of blogs

If you're wondering whether to upgrade to Integration Services 2012, or just want to know what differences there are between SSIS 2008 R2 and 2012, this blog should help you!

  1. Differences between Integration Services 2008 R2 and 2012
  2. Difference 1 - SSIS 2012 Looks Different!
  3. Difference 2 - How Variables are Treated in SSIS 2012
  4. Difference 3 - Choosing Tasks from the SSIS Toolbox
  5. Difference 4 - Shared Connections at Project Level
  6. Difference 5 - Expression Tasks in 2012 (this blog)
  7. Difference 6 - Undoing and Redoing Commands
  8. Difference 7 - Easier to use Data Viewers
  9. Difference 8 - Deploying Packages in 2012
  10. Difference 9 - Parameters and Environments
  11. Differences 10 - Other Miscellaneous Changes

Posted by Andy Brown on 27 November 2014

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Difference 5 - Expression Tasks in 2012

Have a look again at our two functionally identical packages, and you'll notice a difference:

2008 R2 script task 2012 expression task
The 2008 R2 script task ... ... is replaced by an expression task

An expression task allows us to calculate an expression, usually to store this value in a variable.

The advantage of an expression task is that you can calculate variables without needing to create cumbersome script tasks.

Here's what the 2012 expression task looks like (in part):

2012 expression task

The expression task allows us to set one variable equal to the sum of two other ones!

Time now to look at what should perhaps have been number 1 on my list: undoing and redoing commands in SSIS.

  1. Differences between Integration Services 2008 R2 and 2012
  2. Difference 1 - SSIS 2012 Looks Different!
  3. Difference 2 - How Variables are Treated in SSIS 2012
  4. Difference 3 - Choosing Tasks from the SSIS Toolbox
  5. Difference 4 - Shared Connections at Project Level
  6. Difference 5 - Expression Tasks in 2012 (this blog)
  7. Difference 6 - Undoing and Redoing Commands
  8. Difference 7 - Easier to use Data Viewers
  9. Difference 8 - Deploying Packages in 2012
  10. Difference 9 - Parameters and Environments
  11. Differences 10 - Other Miscellaneous Changes
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