Comma List Splitter

Convert comma-separated items into line-separated format.

Input

Output

Examples

Example 1

Apple, Banana, Orange

Example 2

Item 1, Item 2, Item 3

How Comma List Splitting Works

Comma splitting parses text at every comma delimiter, creating separate lines: 'apple, banana, cherry' becomes three lines with one item each. This conversion transforms horizontal comma-separated values into vertical line-separated format.

Whitespace trimming removes leading and trailing spaces from each item. Input 'apple , banana , cherry' produces clean lines 'apple', 'banana', 'cherry' without extra spacing that complicates data processing.

The split operation preserves item order while changing format. First comma-separated item becomes first line, maintaining original sequence for data integrity and list structure.

Practical Uses for List Splitting

CSV data cleanup splits comma-delimited fields into readable lists. Database exports, Excel CSV columns, and API responses often use commas—splitting creates one item per line for easier review and editing.

SQL IN clause formatting benefits from line-separated values. Converting 'value1,value2,value3' to quoted lines produces SQL: IN ('value1','value2','value3') with proper formatting for query construction.

Array value preparation for code requires line separation. JavaScript ['a','b','c'] and Python ['a','b','c'] are easier to write from line-separated values than manually parsing comma strings.

Data import to spreadsheets uses line-separated format. Excel, Google Sheets, and other tools accept one value per line for column population—splitting prepares data for paste operations.

Comma Splitting Challenges

Commas within values cause incorrect splits. 'John Smith, PhD' splits into 'John Smith' and ' PhD' when the comma is part of the credential, not a delimiter. Quoted CSV fields prevent this but require special handling.

Empty values between commas create blank lines. Input 'a,,c' with consecutive commas produces an empty item between 'a' and 'c'. Decide whether to preserve or remove these blank entries based on data needs.

Trailing commas add unwanted blank lines. 'item1,item2,' ends with a comma, creating a third empty line. Trimming trailing commas before splitting avoids spurious blank entries.

Different delimiter expectations cause confusion. Some CSV uses semicolons, tabs, or pipes instead of commas. Splitting on commas when data uses other delimiters produces single-line output without actual splitting.

Best Practices for Comma List Splitting

Handle quoted values appropriately: CSV fields in quotes may contain commas. Use CSV-aware parsing for complex data, or ensure input uses commas only as delimiters without embedded commas.

Remove or preserve empty items intentionally: Filter blank lines after splitting for clean lists, or keep them if empty values have semantic meaning in your data structure.

Validate delimiter before splitting: Confirm data actually uses commas. Check sample lines—if no commas appear, try other delimiters (semicolon, tab, pipe) before concluding split failure.

Combine with other cleanup operations: After splitting, sort alphabetically, remove duplicates, or add prefixes/numbering. Line-separated format enables further text processing that is harder on comma-delimited data.

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