Question

How can a split pipe delimited string value in SQL into separate columns eg.

2008|1245|0|1004|1224|0|

into

FirstValue SecondValue ThirdValue   ForthValue   FifthValue    SixthValue
2008       1245        0            1004         1224         0

Using a simple select script.

Thank you

Answer 1

Try out

CREATE FUNCTION dbo.fnSplit(
    @sInputList VARCHAR(8000) -- List of delimited items
  , @sDelimiter VARCHAR(8000) = '|' -- delimiter that separates items
) RETURNS @List TABLE (item VARCHAR(8000))

BEGIN
DECLARE @sItem VARCHAR(8000)
WHILE CHARINDEX(@sDelimiter,@sInputList,0) <> 0
 BEGIN
 SELECT
  @sItem=RTRIM(LTRIM(SUBSTRING(@sInputList,1,CHARINDEX(@sDelimiter,@sInputList,0)-1))),
  @sInputList=RTRIM(LTRIM(SUBSTRING(@sInputList,CHARINDEX(@sDelimiter,@sInputList,0)+LEN(@sDelimiter),LEN(@sInputList))))

 IF LEN(@sItem) > 0
  INSERT INTO @List SELECT @sItem
 END

IF LEN(@sInputList) > 0
 INSERT INTO @List SELECT @sInputList -- Put the last item in
RETURN
END
GO
--Test
select * from fnSplit('2008|1245|0|1004|1224|0|','|')