Python String Split()

We all know how splitting plays a crucial role, especially while distributing food or other things between our friends and family members. In the same way, we will need to split some strings while programming based on the context of the problem. So, to do this job, we can use the Python split() method. Now, let us get into the details of how this string split() method works and how to use it. 

Definition of Python Split

The split() method in Python divides up a string into a list of strings after splitting the given string by the specified separator. 

Syntax: 

 The syntax of the split() method: str.split(separator, maxsplit) 

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Parameters 

 The split() method in Python takes in a maximum of two parameters, which are: 

1.  Separator: This is a delimiter. It specifies the split() method at which point the string should be split. If this parameter is not provided then the split() method considers any white space as a separator. 
2.  Max split: It is an integer, which instructs the split() method to break up the string into a specified number of times only. If this parameter is not provided then by default the split() method takes no limit. 

Return value: 

The split() method will return a list of strings after splitting the string based on the given separator. 

Now, let us look at some examples to understand how the Python split() method works.

                    

text = 'Hi how are you' 

# Splits at space
print(text.split())

word = 'Hi, How, are, you' 

# Splits at ','
print(word.split(','))

word = 'Hi:How:are:you'

# Splitting at ':'

print(word.split(':'))

word = 'CagBagSaFagor'

# Splitting at g

print(word.split('g'))

                

 Output: 

                    

[‘Hi’, ‘How’, ‘are’, ‘you’] 

[‘Hi’, ‘ How’, ‘ are’, ‘ you’]

[‘Hi’, ‘How’, ‘are’, ‘you’] 

['Ca', 'Ba', 'Sa', 'Fa', 'Or']

                

In the first line of output, we can see that the text was split at all the white spaces since we didn’t specify the separator value. 

In the second line of output, we can see that the text was split at all the ‘,’, since we specified the separator value as ‘,’. 

In the third line of output, we can see that the text was split at all the ‘:’, since we specified the separator value as ‘:’. 

In the last line of output, we can see that the text was split at all the places where the ‘g’ alphabet was present since we specified the separator value as g. 

Example 2: How split() works when max split is specified?

 Now, let us look at some examples to understand how the split() method works when max split is specified. 

                    

word = 'My, name, is, Pawan'  

# maxsplit: 0

print(word.split(', ', 0)) 

# maxsplit: 4

print(word.split(', ', 4))

# maxsplit: 1

print(word.split(', ', 1))

                

Output: 

			

                

                    

                        

                        

                        

                    
                    

                        
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 ['my, name, is, pawan']

['my', 'name', 'is', 'pawan']

['my', 'name, is, pawan']