Java – How to split a string

To split a string, uses String.split(regex). Review the following examples :

    String phone = "012-3456789";
    String[] output = phone.split("-");
    System.out.println(output[0]);
    System.out.println(output[1]);

Output

    012
    3456789

Note
This split (regex) takes a regex as an argument, remember to escape the regex special characters, like period/dot.

1. Split a Period / dot

The period / dot is a special character in regex, you have to escape it either with a double backlash \\. or uses the Pattern.quote method.

TestSplit.java

package com.mkyong.test

import java.util.regex.Pattern;

public class TestSplit {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        String test = "abc.def.123";
        String[] output = test.split("\\.");

        //alternative
        //String[] output = test.split(Pattern.quote("."));

        System.out.println(output[0]);
        System.out.println(output[1]);
        System.out.println(output[2]);

    }

}

Output

abc
def
123

Some common checking before split.

TestSplit.java

package com.mkyong.test

import java.util.regex.Pattern;

public class TestSplit {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        String test = "abc.def.123";
        if(test.contains(".")){
            String[] output = test.split("\\.");
            if(output.length!=3){
                throw new IllegalArgumentException(test + " - invalid format!");
            }else{
                System.out.println(output[0]);
                System.out.println(output[1]);
                System.out.println(output[2]);
            }
        }else{
            throw new IllegalArgumentException(test + " - invalid format!");
        }

    }

}

2. StringTokenizer example

In the old days, Java developers like to use the StringTokenizer class to split a string. This is because the StringTokenizer class is available since JDK 1.0 and the String.split() is available since JDK 1.4

TestSplit.java

package com.mkyong.test

import java.util.StringTokenizer;

public class TestSplit {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        String test = "abc.def.123";

        StringTokenizer token = new StringTokenizer(test, ".");

        while (token.hasMoreTokens()) {
            System.out.println(token.nextToken());
        }

    }

}

Output

abc
def
123

Note
This StringTokenizer is a legacy class, retained for compatibility reasons, the use is discouraged! Please use string.split().