String manipulation is one of the most common tasks when programming in Python, and the split() function is very useful in helping with that task. Whether it is user input, text data processing, or reading from files, Python’s built-in method, split() allows the user to break separated text into smaller, usable parts. In this article, you will learn what the split() function is in Python, how to use split() in Python with practical examples, its applications, advantages, and disadvantages.
Table of Contents:
What is the split() Function in Python?
The split() function in Python is a built-in function that is used to divide a string into a list of substrings. It divides a string based on a specified delimiter, known as the separator. It will split the string using whitespace by default if no separator is provided. The split() function is used in text processing, data parsing, and cleaning data, where there is a need to split a string into individual components.
Syntax of split() Function
The syntax of the split() function in Python is:
str.split(separator=None, maxsplit=-1)
Parameters of the split() Function
There are two parameters of the split() function, and both are optional.
- separator: It is the delimiter at which the string is split. If the separator is not specified, then a whitespace is used.
- maxsplit: It shows the maximum number of splits in which the string is divided. The default value -1 shows that there is no limit, and the string is split wherever a separator is provided.
Return Value of the split() Function
The split() function returns a list of strings, which are the parts of the string which is split by the specified separator or using whitespace.
Python Course
This Python course provides a thorough introduction to Python, a high-level, general-purpose dynamic programming language.
Working of the split() Function in Python
The split() function is used to split a string into smaller parts in Python. It works by scanning the string and dividing it into a list wherever a specified separator is present. If no separator is present or provided, then it uses whitespace by default to split the string.
The number of splits can also be controlled by using the maxsplit argument. If maxsplit is not set, then the split() function will split the string at every point where a separator appears.
The split() function returns a list that has all the resulting substrings. Also, this makes it easier to work with individual parts of a string in our program.
Let’s understand the working of the split() function in Python with examples.
Example 1: Splitting a string using the default separator
Output:
The code shows how the string “Learn Python step by step” is divided into a list of words using the default separator, whitespace.
Example 2: Splitting a string using the custom separator
Output:
The code shows how the string “apple, banana, cherry” is divided into a list using “,” as the separator.
Why the Python split() Function is Important for Developers
The split() function is important for developers because it simplifies the process of handling and processing text. It helps to split strings into manageable parts, which is a common task for developers, whether they are working with user input, reading files, parsing logs, or cleaning up data from APIs.
The split() function takes a single string and breaks it down into a list of components. This is an easier way to extract parts of that data, analyze, or manipulate. The flexibility of the function is good because you can define both the separator to separate and limit the split. Due to its flexibility, you will find this function valuable as a Python developer.
Practical Examples of the split() Function in Python
Here are a few practical examples of the split() function in Python.
1. Splitting a Sentence into Words
Output:
The code shows how the split() function is used in text processing, as it splits the string “Python is a powerful language” into individual words.
Output:
The code shows how the split() function is used for date formatting or extracting date elements, as it splits the given date “2025-05-29” into individual elements as year, month, and day.
3. Limiting the Number of Splits
Output:
The code shows that the split() function is used when there is a need for only some parts of the data, as it splits the name and email from the given text because the custom limit is set to 2 to split the text.
Output:
The code shows how the split() function helps in simplifying separating and using multiple values entered by the user, as it takes the input “Nirnayika 21” from the user and splits it into two parts using a whitespace delimiter, and returns them separately as name and age.
Get 100% Hike!
Master Most in Demand Skills Now!
5. Splitting the String Into a List of Characters
Output:
The code shows how the split() function is used to split the text into a list of characters, as it splits “Intellipaat” into a list of characters.
How to Use the split() Without Parameters in Python
When the split() function is used without parameters, it splits the string automatically into a list based on any whitespace and removes any extra spaces. Also, it treats multiple spaces as a single separator.
Example 1:
Output:
The code shows that the given string is split into a list of grocery items using space as a separator.
Example 2:
Output:
The code shows that the given string is split into a list of grocery items using space as a separator, and also removes the extra spaces between them.
Common Errors When Using split() and How to Handle Them
Here are a few common errors that developers face when using the split() function, and also the solutions to handle these errors.
1. ValueError: not enough values to unpack
This error occurs when you try to assign more variables than the number of elements returned by the split().
Example:
Output:
In the code above, two variables are assigned, apple and banana, but the code is trying to unpack them into three variables. It is throwing a ValueError since there is a mismatch in unpacking.
Solution: Match the number of variables with the number of split objects.
Output:
In the above code, only two variables are given, and the split function splits into two variables and assigns them to fruit1 and fruit2.
2. Incorrect Separator
If the separator is not specified correctly, then the split() function may return the string as one item.
Example:
Output:
In the above code, no separator is provided, thus, split() uses whitespace by default. But there is now whitespace in the string, so it returns the entire string as a single list element.
Solution: Use the correct delimiter that matches the string format.
Output:
In the above code, the comma is used as the separator, thus, the split() function splits the string into a list wherever a comma appears.
3. AttributeError: ‘int’ object has no attribute ‘split’
This error occurs when you call the split() function on a non-string type, such as an int.
Example:
Output:
The above code gives an error because split() is a string method, and here it is being used on an integer (12345) to split it, which is not possible.
Solution: Convert the data to a string using str() before using the split() function.
Output:
In the above code, the number is changed into a string using str(), thus the split() function splits it into a list.
Advantages of the split() Function in Python
- The split() function is simple and straightforward to use. You will be able to use your own separators and simply split strings as needed.
- The split() function is helpful with any sort of text data processing, like CSV files, log data, and user input data.
- The split() function is useful in helping structure and clean raw text data.
- Using the split() function helps make code clean and readable because it avoids writing complex loops.
Disadvantages of the split() Function in Python
- The split() function can only be used on string data types, so you must convert other data types into strings first.
- The split() function also cannot use multiple different separators without additional code.
- When unpacking values using the split() function, you will run into errors if you do not use the right number of variables.
- The split() function does not remove spaces from any item it splits.
Applications of the split() Function
- Text Processing: The input users enter in forms is read and separated using the split() method.
- Parsing CSV Files: To read and separate input data from CSV files into smaller parts, use the split() method.
- Data analysis: To make large data easier to understand, developers use the split() function.
- NLP applications or chatbots: The split() method divides user messages into simpler terms for use in chatbots and natural language processing activities.
- Data Cleaning: For data analysis, the split() function is an excellent way to clean and arrange raw text data.
- File Path Manipulation: File paths can be divided into filenames, folders, and extensions using the split() function.
Conclusion
The split() function in Python is a very useful and important tool for string manipulation. The split() function makes writing challenging tasks, such as parsing user input, reading through files of data, or performing simple data analysis, much easier by separating text into manageable chunks. The ability to specify how to split a given string conveniently makes it a very useful function for developers who have to deal with random strings, file input, etc. It is easy to use, but like many things, you must use it carefully, especially when dealing with non-standard input or using more than one delimiter.
Free Python Certification Course Online
This course in Python will quickly bring you up to speed on this popular programming language
Python split() Function – FAQs
Q1. What does the split() function do in Python?
The split() function divides a string into a list of substrings based on a specified separator.
Q2. What is the default separator in split()?
If no separator is provided, then the split() function uses any whitespace (space, tab, newline) as the default separator.
Q3. Can I split a string using a comma or other characters?
Yes, you can provide any character as a separator, such as a comma, semicolon, or hyphen.
Q4. What happens if the string is empty?
If the string is empty, then the split() function returns an empty list.
Q5. Can I use split() on numbers?
No, you must convert the number to a string using str() before splitting it.