Python Split String

The Python split string function is one of the String Method. It is used to split the given string and return a list of words. This Python split string function accepts two arguments (optional). If you specify the separator to split then it will use the specified separator to return a list of words.

A Python String Split function will start looking for the separator from Left Hand side. Once it finds the separator, it will split the string before the Separator and add to list item. It will repeat the process until it reaches to end position or Max_Split position.

In this article we will show you, How to write String Split in Python Programming with example.

Python Split String Syntax

The basic syntax of the Python String Split function is as shown below:

String_Value.split(Separator, Max_Split)

• String_Value: Please select the valid String variable or you can use the String directly.
• Separator: This argument is optional and if you forget this argument, python split string function will use Empty Space as the separator.
• Max_Split: This argument is optional. If you specify this value then, split function will restrict the list of words.

Return Value

Python Split function returns List of words. For example, If we have X*Y*Z and If we use * as separator, Split function will search for * from left to right. Once it find * it will return the string before the * symbol as List Item 1 (X) so on and so forth.

If you add Max_Split argument to above example, X*Y*Z.split(‘*’, 1), python split function will search for *. Once it find * it will return the string before the * symbol as List Item 1 (X) and return the remaining string as list item 2.

NOTE: If you pass the non existing item as the separator then split string function will return the whole string as List Item 1.

Python split String Example

The following set of examples will help you understand the string Split in Python Programming Language.

# Python split string Example
 
text = 'Welcome to Tutorial Gateway'
 
string_split = text.split()
 
print(string_split)

OUTPUT

Python split string by Comma

In this example, we are splitting the strings using the comma followed by space. Within the last statement, we removed the extra space. It means, split function will split the fruits string by comma.

# Python split string Example
 
text = 'Hi, This is Suresh, Posting Python articles'
 
string_split = text.split(", ")
print(string_split)
print()
 
fruits = 'Apple, Orange, Banana, Kiwi, Cherry, Mango, Berry'
fruits_split = fruits.split(", ")
print(fruits_split)
 
# Removed Extra Space
fruits_split = fruits.split(",")
print(fruits_split)

OUTPUT

Python split string by Space

In this example, we are splitting the given string using the space.

text = 'Learn Python at Tutorial Gateway For Free'
 
string_split = text.split(" ")
print(string_split)
print()
 
fruits = 'Apple Orange Banana Kiwi Cherry Mango Berry'
fruits_split = fruits.split(" ")
print(fruits_split)

OUTPUT

Python split string by Character 

Here, we are using a single character to split the string. The first statement split the text using A character. The second statement split fruits using $ symbol.

text = 'LearnAPythonAatATutorialAGatewayAForAFree'
 
string_split = text.split("A")
print(string_split)
print()
 
fruits = 'Apple$Orange$Banana$Kiwi$Cherry$Mango$Berry'
fruits_split = fruits.split("$")
print(fruits_split)

OUTPUT

Python split string by Multiple Characters

In this example, we used multiple characters or substring to split a given string. The first statement split using ABC substring. The second statement split fruits using @#$ symbol.

text = 'LearnABCPythonABCatABCTutorialABCGatewayABCForABCFree'
 
string_split = text.split('ABC')
print(string_split)
print()
 
fruits = '[email protected]#[email protected]#[email protected]#[email protected]#[email protected]#[email protected]#$Berry'
fruits_split = fruits.split("@#$")
print(fruits_split)

OUTPUT

Here we will only Pass either single argument or No argument to the split function.

# Python Split String Example
 
Str1 = 'India, China, Japan, USA, UK, Australia, Canada'
Str2 = 'Learn-Python-Programming-Tutorial-Gateway'
Str3 = 'xyz*abc*ijk*lmn'
 
Str4 = Str1.split(',')
print("After Splitting String 1 = ", Str4)

Str5 = Str2.split('-')
print("After Splitting String 2 = ", Str5)

Str6 = Str3.split('*')
print("After Splitting String 3 = ", Str6)

#Performing Python Split function directly
Str7 = 'https://www.tutorialgateway.org/python/'.split('/')
print("After Splitting String 7 = ", Str7)

# Split function with No arguments
Str8 = 'Learn Python Programming Tutorial Gateway'

Str9 = Str8.split()
print("After Splitting String 8 = ", Str9)

OUTPUT

ANALYSIS

First we declared three String variable Str1, Str2, Str3 and assigned corresponding value using following statement

Str1 = 'India, China, Japan, USA, UK, Australia, Canada'
Str2 = 'Learn-Python-Programming-Tutorial-Gateway'
Str3 = 'xyz*abc*ijk*lmn'

Following statement will split the Str1 string based on the separator we specified (i.e, ‘,’) and prints the output.

Str4 = Str1.split(',')
print("After Splitting String 1 = ", Str4)

Following statement will split the Str2 string based on the ‘-‘ symbol and prints the output.

Str5 = Str2.split('-')
print("After Splitting String 2 = ", Str5)

Below statement we used the Python String Split directly. Following statement will split the string based on the ‘/’ symbol and prints the output.

Str7 = 'https://www.tutorialgateway.org/python/'.split('/')
print("After Splitting String 7 = ", Str7)

Next we tried to call the String split function without using any of the arguments.

Str8 = 'Learn Python Programming Tutorial Gateway'

Str9 = Str8.split()
print("After Splitting String 8 = ", Str9)

From the Output you can observe that, it is splitting the string based on empty space. Because that is the default argument of string split function

Python string split Multiple Delimiters

This example shows you how to use multiple delimiters to split any string.

text = 'Learn.,Python.,at.,Tutorial.,Gateway.,For.,Free'
 
string_split = text.split('.,')
print(string_split)
print()
 
fruits = 'Apple,,"Orange,,"Banana,,"Kiwi,,"Cherry,,"[email protected]#$Berry'
fruits_split = fruits.split(',,"')
print(fruits_split)

OUTPUT

Python string split Multiple Delimiters Example 2

This is an another example to split string using multiple delimiters. However, this time we are using the For Loop to iterate each and every list item returned by Python split function, and prints them.

text = 'Learn.,Python.,at.,Tutorial.,Gateway.,For.,Free'
 
string_split = text.split('.,')
print(string_split)
 
for txt in string_split:
    print(txt)
 
print()
fruits = 'Apple,,"Orange,,"Banana,,"Kiwi,,"Cherry,,"Mango,,"Berry'
fruits_split = fruits.split(',,"')
print(fruits_split)
 
for ft in fruits_split:
    print(ft)

OUTPUT

Split String Example 2

The following set of examples will help you understand the advanced Split options in Python Programming Language. Here we will only Pass either two argument or No argument to the Python String split function

# Split function with No arguments
Str1 = 'Learn Python Programming Tutorial Gateway'

Str2 = Str1.split()
print("After Splitting String 1 = ", Str2)

# Split function with Two arguments
Str3 = 'India, China, Japan, USA, UK, Australia, Canada'

Str4 = Str3.split(',', 1)
print("After Splitting String 1 = ", Str4)

Str5 = Str3.split(',', 3)
print("After Splitting String 2 = ", Str5)

Str6 = Str3.split(',', 5)
print("After Splitting String 3 = ", Str6)

OUTPUT

ANALYSIS

First we declared a String variable Str3 and assigned corresponding value using following statement

Str3 = 'India, China, Japan, USA, UK, Australia, Canada'

The following split string statement was splitting the Str1 string based on the separator we specified (i.e, ‘,’) and prints the output. Here the second argument will restrict the split function to split one word only.

Str4 = Str3.split(',', 1)
print("After Splitting String 1 = ", Str4)

Following statement will split the Str1 string based on the separator we specified (i.e, ‘,’) and prints the output. Here the second argument will restrict the split function to split three words only.

Str5 = Str3.split(',', 3)
print("After Splitting String 2 = ", Str5)

Python String split count example 2

This time, we are splitting text using space for 5 times. Next, we used comma and space to split fruits and it splits for two times.

text = 'Hi This is Suresh Posting Python articles'
 
string_split = text.split(" ", 5)
print(string_split)
print()
 
fruits = 'Apple, Orange, Banana, Kiwi, Cherry, Mango, Berry'
fruits_split = fruits.split(", ", 2)
print(fruits_split)

OUTPUT

Split Function on Empty strings

The following set of examples will help you understand the functionality of a Python Split function while working with empty data.

String Split Example 3

Until now, we are printing the list returned by the split function. Here, we are assigning the splitter values to variables. To do so, you have to provide the variables separated by comma in this Python split function.

text = 'Tutorial,Gateway'
 
a, b = text.split(',')
print(a)
print(b)
print()
 
fruits = 'Apple,Orange,Banana,Kiwi,Cherry,Mango,Berry'
a,b,c,d,e,f,g = fruits.split(',')
print(a)
print(b)
print(c)
print(d)
print(e)
print(f)
print(g)

OUTPUT

split string into Chars

You can use the above specified technique to assign and return chars from a given string. Let me show you the same in this Python split string into chars

text = 'Python'
print(text)
print()
 
a, b, c, d, e, f = text
 
print(a)
print(b)
print(c)
print(d)
print(e)
print(f)

OUTPUT

Here, we are splitting the given time and assigning those values to hours, minutes, and seconds.

time = '23:50:59'
print(time)
 
hour,minute,second = time.split(':')
print('Hours   = ', hour)
print('Minutes = ', minute)
print('Seconds = ', second)

OUTPUT

Python split string into list of Characters

You can use the list function to convert the given string into list of characters. Here, you don’t have to use the split function.

text = 'Python'
print(text)
print(list(text))
print()
 
st = 'Tutorial Gateway'
print(st)
print(list(st))

OUTPUT

Here, we defined a new function to Split string. This function uses for loop to iterate each and every characters and prints them.

def split_into_list(string):
    return [ch for ch in string]
 
text = 'Python'
print(text)
print(split_into_list(text))
print()
 
st = 'Tutorial Gateway'
print(st)
print(split_into_list(st))

OUTPUT

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