Split Function in Sql Server to break Comma-Separated Strings into Table

Sql Server does not (on my knowledge) have in-build Split function.

Split function in general on all platforms would have comma-separated string value to be split into individual strings.

In sql server, the main objective or necessary of the Split function is to convert a comma-separated string value (‘abc,cde,fgh’) into a temp table with each string as rows.

The below Split function is Table-valued function which would help us splitting comma-separated (or any other delimiter value) string to individual string.

CREATE FUNCTION dbo.Split(@String varchar(8000), @Delimiter char(1))
returns @temptable TABLE (items varchar(8000))
as
begin
declare @idx int
declare @slice varchar(8000)

select @idx = 1
if len(@String)<1 or @String is null return

while @idx!= 0
begin
set @idx = charindex(@Delimiter,@String)
if @idx!=0
set @slice = left(@String,@idx - 1)
else
set @slice = @String

if(len(@slice)>0)
insert into @temptable(Items) values(@slice)

set @String = right(@String,len(@String) - @idx)
if len(@String) = 0 break
end
return
end

Split function can be Used as

select * from Split('Orange,Red,Yellow,White,Black,,',',')

Above Split function can be used to pass parameter to IN clause in sql server.