How to split a comma-separated value to columns

Question

I have a table like this

Value   String
-------------------
1       Cleo, Smith

I want to separate the comma delimited string into two colu

Answer 1

I encountered a similar problem but a complex one and since this is the first thread i found regarding that issue i decided to post my finding. i know it is complex solution to a simple problem but i hope that i could help other people who go to this thread looking for a more complex solution. i had to split a string containing 5 numbers (column name: levelsFeed) and to show each number in a separate column. for example: 8,1,2,2,2 should be shown as :

1  2  3  4  5
-------------
8  1  2  2  2

Solution 1: using XML functions: this solution for the slowest solution by far

SELECT Distinct FeedbackID, 
, S.a.value('(/H/r)[1]', 'INT') AS level1
, S.a.value('(/H/r)[2]', 'INT') AS level2
, S.a.value('(/H/r)[3]', 'INT') AS level3
, S.a.value('(/H/r)[4]', 'INT') AS level4
, S.a.value('(/H/r)[5]', 'INT') AS level5
FROM (            
    SELECT *,CAST (N'' + REPLACE(levelsFeed, ',', '')  + ' ' AS XML) AS [vals]
    FROM Feedbacks 
)  as d
CROSS APPLY d.[vals].nodes('/H/r') S(a)

Solution 2: using Split function and pivot. (the split function split a string to rows with the column name Data)

SELECT FeedbackID, [1],[2],[3],[4],[5]
FROM (
    SELECT *, ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION BY feedbackID ORDER BY (SELECT  null)) as rn 
FROM (
    SELECT FeedbackID, levelsFeed
    FROM Feedbacks 
) as a
CROSS APPLY dbo.Split(levelsFeed, ',')
) as SourceTable
PIVOT
(
    MAX(data)
    FOR rn IN ([1],[2],[3],[4],[5])
)as pivotTable

Solution 3: using string manipulations functions - fastest by small margin over solution 2

SELECT FeedbackID,
SUBSTRING(levelsFeed,0,CHARINDEX(',',levelsFeed)) AS level1,
PARSENAME(REPLACE(SUBSTRING(levelsFeed,CHARINDEX(',',levelsFeed)+1,LEN(levelsFeed)),',','.'),4) AS level2,
PARSENAME(REPLACE(SUBSTRING(levelsFeed,CHARINDEX(',',levelsFeed)+1,LEN(levelsFeed)),',','.'),3) AS level3,
PARSENAME(REPLACE(SUBSTRING(levelsFeed,CHARINDEX(',',levelsFeed)+1,LEN(levelsFeed)),',','.'),2) AS level4,
PARSENAME(REPLACE(SUBSTRING(levelsFeed,CHARINDEX(',',levelsFeed)+1,LEN(levelsFeed)),',','.'),1) AS level5
FROM Feedbacks

since the levelsFeed contains 5 string values i needed to use the substring function for the first string.

i hope that my solution will help other that got to this thread looking for a more complex split to columns methods