How to use the SPLIT Function in Google Sheets
Divides text around a specified character or string, and puts each fragment into a separate cell in the row.
Google Sheets is a powerful tool for data management and analysis. One of its versatile functions is the SPLIT function, which allows users to separate text strings into multiple cells based on a specified delimiter. This function can greatly enhance data processing efficiency, especially when dealing with large datasets or complex text strings.
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Benefits
1. Data Organization: Easily split data into separate cells for better organization.
2. Time-Saving: Automate the process of separating text, saving time and reducing manual errors.
3. Enhanced Analysis: Simplify data analysis by breaking down complex text strings into manageable pieces.
4. Improved Data Entry: Clean and preprocess data for better accuracy in reports and analysis.
Step-by-Step Guide
Syntax
SPLIT(text, delimiter, [split_by_each], [remove_empty_text])
Arguments
- text: The text string to be split.
- delimiter: The character or characters used to split the text.
- split_by_each (optional): A boolean value (TRUE or FALSE). If TRUE, each character in the delimiter is considered individually. If FALSE, the entire delimiter is considered as a whole. Default is TRUE.
- remove_empty_text (optional): A boolean value (TRUE or FALSE). If TRUE, empty text fragments are removed from the result. Default is TRUE.
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Example
Step-by-Step
1. Open Google Sheets: Go to your Google Sheets document or create a new one.
2. Enter Text to Split: In cell A1, enter the text string you want to split, e.g., "John,Jane,Doe".
3. Select Target Cell: Click on the cell where you want the split text to begin, e.g., B1.
4. Enter the SPLIT Formula: Type the following formula in B1:
=SPLIT(A1, ",")
5. Press Enter: The text in A1 will be split into separate cells B1, C1, and D1.
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Example
Let's say you have a cell containing the text string "Product 1;Product 2;Product 3", and you want to split these products into separate cells. You also have an option to split by each delimiter character or by the whole delimiter and whether to remove empty text or not.
Step-by-Step
1. Enter the Text to Split: In cell A2, enter the text string:
Product 1;Product 2;Product 3
2. Split by Whole Delimiter:
- Click on cell B2.
- Enter the formula:
=SPLIT(A2, ";", FALSE)
- Press Enter. The text in A2 will be split into B2, C2, and D2, with each product in a separate cell.
3. Split by Each Character in Delimiter:
- Click on cell B3.
- Enter the formula:
=SPLIT(A2, ";")
- Press Enter. The result will be the same as above since each character in the delimiter ; is treated separately, but the result is similar as there are no multiple delimiter characters.
4. Remove Empty Text:
- Modify the text in cell A2 to:
Product 1;;Product 2;Product 3
- Click on cell B4.
- Enter the formula:
=SPLIT(A2, ";", FALSE, TRUE)
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- Press Enter. The empty text between the double semicolons will be removed, resulting in Product 1 in B4, Product 2 in C4, and Product 3 in D4.
5. Keep Empty Text:
- Click on cell B5.
- Enter the formula:
=SPLIT(A2, ";", FALSE, FALSE)
- Press Enter. This time, the empty text will be retained, resulting in Product 1 in B5, an empty cell in C5, Product 2 in D5, and Product 3 in E5.
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Advanced Tips
1. Combining SPLIT with Other Functions:
- TRIM: Use TRIM to remove extra spaces before splitting.
=SPLIT(TRIM(A2), ";")
- ARRAYFORMULA: Use with ARRAYFORMULA to apply the SPLIT function to a range of cells.
=ARRAYFORMULA(SPLIT(A2:A10, ";"))
- CONCATENATE: Recombine the split data with CONCATENATE.
=CONCATENATE(B2, " ", C2, " ", D2)
2. Handling Complex Delimiters:
- Use a combination of REGEXREPLACE to handle more complex delimiters.
=SPLIT(A2, REGEXREPLACE(A2, "[^a-zA-Z0-9]+", " "))
This replaces non-alphanumeric characters with spaces before splitting.
3. Dynamic Delimiters:
- If the delimiter can change, reference a cell for the delimiter.
=SPLIT(A2, B1)
Where B1 contains the delimiter character or string.
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