I found out something interesting. When dealing with Spatial data, SQL Server Management Studio will provide us with a tab that looks like the following to show our spatial query results:
The results will show anything that we query from the Geography or Geometry spatial types. However, in the above example where I am querying geographical data, you do realize that the results don't really make much sense. If you see the screenshot carefully, there are actually black dots on the grid. *LOL*
Now, let's port the database over to SQL Azure and execute the same query. Behold! SQL Azure's Spatial Data results window!
Awesome huh?! SQL Azure is smart enough to load up bing maps to show the geographical data. All our locations are marked with stars on the map. Not only that, you can also select a tool tip column to better visualize your geographical data.
When you hover your mouse over the stars, you will see a tool tip for your location. I think this is pretty neat :)
Anyway, here's a bug (or design behavior) warning. If you have zoomed in to your location, switched to the Results tab to view your tabular results and then switched back to your map, you may get a "blue screen" like the following:
You maybe thinking that your map is loading and why is it taking so long to load. After a while, you may even think that the result window has hung. Actually, the map did not hang nor is it loading. You are just simply put to a view of the "Gulf of Guinea". The blue is actually the ocean *LOL*. Simply click on the zoom-out icon (frantically) and you should be able to see the world map again (with your stars intact).
There you go... SQL Azure Spatial! :)
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