SQL command to break up a column into additional columns - sql

Question

I am trying to take one column in my table that has multiple values (up to 10) delimited by a "pipe" "|" in it and add the delimited values into additional columns in the table. Note (running on SQL SVR 2014).
Table ...
Col1 Col2 Col3
1 Tom 12345678|87654321|11111111|22222222|..... up to 10
2 Joe 14563467
3 Zac 12345678|87654321
I need the results of SQL to produce
Col1 Col2 Col3 Col4 Col5 Col6 Col7 Col8 Col9 ....
1 Tom 12345678 87654321 11111111 22222222
2 Joe 14563467
3 Zac 12345678 87654321
Any help is appreciated!

Answer 1

You can first normalize your data using the new STRING_SPLIT function into a derived table with the split columns stretched downward. Using that table you can PIVOT out based on Col1 to create the 5 columns basically pulling the data back up that was previously split down. Next, use that data as the source for you update back to the source table.
If you are not on SQL Server 2016 then you will need to replace STRING_SPLIT with an delimited string parser Table Value Function .
DECLARE #T TABLE(Col1 INT, Col2 NVARCHAR(50), Col3 NVARCHAR(50), Col4 NVARCHAR(50), Col5 NVARCHAR(50))
INSERT #T (COl1,Col2) VALUES (1,'12345678|87654321|11111111|22222222|')
INSERT #T (COl1,Col2) VALUES (2,'12345678')
INSERT #T (COl1,Col2) VALUES (3,'12345678|87654321|')
SELECT * FROM #T
;
WITH SplitData AS
(
SELECT
Col1,Col2 = S.Value,
RN = ROW_NUMBER()OVER( PARTITION BY Col1 ORDER BY (SELECT 1 AS X))
FROM
#T
CROSS APPLY STRING_SPLIT(Col2,'|') S
)
,UpdateData AS
(
SELECT
Col1, Col2=[1], Col3=[2], Col4=[3], Col5=[4]
FROM
(
SELECT Col1, Col2, RN FROM SplitData
) AS S
PIVOT(
MAX(Col2) FOR RN IN ([1], [2], [3], [4], [5])
) AS P
)
UPDATE L
SET L.Col1 = R.Col1, L.Col2=R.Col2, L.Col3=R.Col3, L.Col4=R.Col4, L.Col5 = R.Col5
FROM
#T L
INNER JOIN UpdateData R ON L.Col1 = R.Col1
SELECT * FROM #T

Answer 2

If u are sure max values count in Col3 is 10 u can use cross apply with split string on Col3 and select columns with splited value and row number partitioned by col1 and col2. Secound step is pivot this table by row
WITH SplitTable AS(
SELECT Col1
,Col2
,value
,ROW_NUMBER() OVER(PARTITION BY Col1, Col2 ORDER BY (SELECT NULL)) as rn
FROM YOUR_TABLE
CROSS APPLY STRING_SPLIT(Col3, '|') AS YT
)
SELECT Col1
,Col2
,[1]
,[2]
,[3]
,[4]
,[5]
,[6]
,[7]
,[8]
,[9]
,[10]
FROM SplitTable
PIVOT(
MAX(VALUE)
FOR RN IN([1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[7],[8],[9],[10])
) as PVT