`split`

Splits text at delimiters into separate pieces.

Category: Language Fundamentals > Data Types

Syntax

C = split(str)

Splits at whitespace.

C = split(str, delim)

Splits at the delimiter delim, or at any of several delimiters given as an array.

C = split(___, 'CollapseDelimiters', tf)

Controls whether adjacent delimiters count as one.

[C, matches] = split(___)

Also returns the delimiters found.

Description

split always returns one more piece than it finds delimiters. For an array input, the pieces run along a new dimension. By default adjacent delimiters are collapsed into one, so "a--b" split at "-" gives a and b. To split at several different characters, pass a string array such as [",", ";"].

The output is a string array when the input is a string and a cell array when the input is a char vector. strsplit is the older equivalent for char vectors.

Input arguments

str: String array, character vector or cell array of character vectors.
delim: Delimiter text, an array of delimiters, or a pattern.

Output arguments

C: For a single string input, a column string array of the pieces; for a char vector, a cell array.
matches: The delimiters that separated the pieces.

Example

split("a,b,c", ",")
split("one two three")
split("a1b2c", ["1","2"])

Output

ans = 3×1 string array

    "a"
    "b"
    "c"
ans = 3×1 string array

    "one"
    "two"
    "three"
ans = 3×1 string array

    "a"
    "b"
    "c"

Notes

In MatLivre the 'CollapseDelimiters' default is not applied (adjacent delimiters give empty pieces) and the second output matches is not available.

split