# string-split - split strings by delimiter

## Synopsis

    string split [(-f | --fields) FIELDS [-a | --allow-empty]] [(-m | --max) MAX] [-n | --no-empty]
                 [-q | --quiet] [-r | --right] SEP [STRING ...]
    string split0 [(-f | --fields) FIELDS [-a | --allow-empty]] [(-m | --max) MAX] [-n | --no-empty]
                  [-q | --quiet] [-r | --right] [STRING ...]

## Description

`string split` splits each STRING on the separator SEP, which can be an empty string. If -m or --max is specified, at most MAX splits are done on each STRING. If -r or --right is given, splitting is performed right-to-left. This is only useful in combination with -m or --max. With -n or --no-empty, empty results are excluded from consideration (e.g. `hello\n\nworld` would expand to two strings and not three). Exit status: 0 if at least one split was performed, or 1 otherwise.

Use -f or --fields to print out specific fields. FIELDS is a comma-separated string of field numbers and/or spans. Each field is one-indexed, and will be printed on separate lines. If a given field does not exist, then the command exits with status 1 and does not print anything, unless --allow-empty is used.

See also the --delimiter option of the read command.

`string split0` splits each STRING on the zero byte (NUL). Options are the same as `string split` except that no separator is given.

`split0` has the important property that its output is not further split when used in a command substitution, allowing for the command substitution to produce elements containing newlines. This is most useful when used with Unix tools that produce zero bytes, such as `find -print0` or `sort -z`. See split0 examples below.

Be aware that commandline arguments cannot include NULs, so you likely want to pass to `string split0` via a pipe, not a command substitution.

## Examples

    >_ string split . example.com
    example
    com

    >_ string split -r -m1 / /usr/local/bin/fish
    /usr/local/bin
    fish

    >_ string split '' abc
    a
    b
    c

    >_ string split --allow-empty -f1,3-4,5 '' abcd
    a
    c
    d

### NUL Delimited Examples

    >_ # Count files in a directory, without being confused by newlines.
    >_ # Note: Don't use `string split0 (find . -print0)`, because arguments cannot include NUL.
    >_ count (find . -print0 | string split0)
    42

    >_ # Sort a list of elements which may contain newlines
    >_ set foo beta alpha\ngamma
    >_ set foo (string join0 $foo | sort -z | string split0)
    >_ string escape $foo[1]
    alpha\ngamma