Help Centre › Building Processes
This article describes the RPA Excel functionality to split a column into multiple columns by a delimiter.
For a full list of available functions, please read EXCEL functions.
Description
The Split column function splits the values in a column into multiple new columns based on a delimiter character. The original column is preserved and the new columns are inserted after it. You can optionally provide names for the new columns.
Example
Splitting a "Full Name" column by space:
| Full Name (before) | First Name | Last Name |
|---|---|---|
| John Smith | John | Smith |
| Jane Doe | Jane | Doe |
Setting it up
To use the Split column function, follow these instructions:
{{popups:rpas/add:action=excel-split-column}}
Once on a process map:
- Navigate to the process where you would like to add the function
- Click on the green button’s drop-down
- Click on “+ Activity”
- Select the EXCEL Split column option
- Click "Add" once you are done
Input parameters
| Parameter | Required | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Column | Yes | Text | - | The name of the column to split |
| Delimiter | Yes | Text | - | The character(s) to split on, e.g. comma, dash, space |
| New column names | No | Text | Column_1, Column_2, ... | Comma-separated names for the new columns. If omitted, columns are auto-named. |
Output
This function does not return a value. New columns are inserted into the sheet after the source column.
Errors
- Column not found – the specified column name does not exist in the sheet
Tips
- If cells have varying numbers of delimiters, extra columns will be blank for shorter values
- Common delimiters: space, comma (
,), dash (-), pipe (|), semicolon (;) - Use Text to columns for delimiter-based splitting of cell ranges instead of a named column