> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://sevenval.gitbook.io/flat/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://sevenval.gitbook.io/flat/reference/functions/split.md).

# split()

```
node-set split(string subject, [string pattern])
```

`split()` converts the "subject" string into a node-set of `<token>` elements. The optional pattern is a Perl-compatible regular expression (without delimiters). It is used to split the input string. If no pattern is given, the string is split at every block of whitespace characters (space, tab, newline).

Example without pattern:

```
split("A B C")
```

returns

```markup
<token>A</token>
<token>B</token>
<token>C</token>
```

Example with pattern

```
split("A:B : C", "\s*:\s*")
```

returns

```markup
<token>A</token>
<token>B</token>
<token>C</token>
```

The elements of the result node-set may be used with positional predicates:

```
split("A  B C")[2]
```

returns

```markup
<token>B</token>
```

> 📎 Note that empty token elements will be discarded.

For use in a [JSON template](/flat/reference/templating.md) with [`loop()`](/flat/reference/templating/loop.md), the resulting node-set has to be cast into an array with the [`array()` function](/flat/reference/functions/array.md):

```markup
<template>
[
  {{loop array(split("Alice.Bob.Eve", "\.")) }}
  {{.}}
  {{end}}
]
</template>
```

If necessary, in-place regex modifiers can be used with the `(?<modifier>)` syntax, where `<modifier>` can be

* `i`: case-insensitive match
* `m`: `^` and `$` match for every line in the subject ("multiline")
* `x`: ignore whitespace in pattern for readability ("extended")

Example with case-insensitive match of `x` and `X`:

```
split("AXBxC", "(?i)x")
```

returns

```markup
<token>A</token>
<token>B</token>
<token>C</token>
```


---

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