Use std::stringstream with std::getline for splitting by a single delimiter like comma or space, as it is simple and readable; 2. Use std::string::find and substr when more control is needed, especially for multi-character delimiters; 3. Use Boost’s boost::split if external libraries are allowed, for clean and robust code; 4. Use the stringstream extraction operator (>>) to split on any whitespace, which automatically handles multiple spaces. The recommended approach for most cases is std::getline with stringstream due to its simplicity and effectiveness.
Splitting a string in C isn't as straightforward as in some other languages (like Python), because the standard library doesn't provide a built-in split() function. But you can achieve it effectively using several approaches. Here are the most common and practical methods.
1. Using std::stringstream with std::getline (for single delimiter)
This is the most popular and beginner-friendly method when splitting by a single character (like space, comma, etc.).
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>
#include <sstream>
std::vector<std::string> split(const std::string& str, char delimiter) {
std::vector<std::string> tokens;
std::stringstream ss(str);
std::string token;
while (std::getline(ss, token, delimiter)) {
tokens.push_back(token);
}
return tokens;
}
// Example usage
int main() {
std::string input = "apple,banana,grape";
std::vector<std::string> result = split(input, ',');
for (const auto& word : result) {
std::cout << word << std::endl;
}
return 0;
}? Works well for simple cases
? Doesn't handle multiple consecutive delimiters (e.g.,,,) gracefully by default (can add filtering)
To skip empty tokens:
if (!token.empty()) {
tokens.push_back(token);
}2. Using std::string::find and substr (more control)
This gives you full control and works well for any delimiter (including multi-character ones with minor changes).
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>
std::vector<std::string> split(const std::string& str, const std::string& delimiter) {
std::vector<std::string> tokens;
size_t start = 0;
size_t end = str.find(delimiter);
while (end != std::string::npos) {
tokens.push_back(str.substr(start, end - start));
start = end delimiter.length();
end = str.find(delimiter, start);
}
tokens.push_back(str.substr(start)); // Add the last part
return tokens;
}
// Example usage
int main() {
std::string input = "one|two||three";
std::vector<std::string> result = split(input, "|");
for (const auto& word : result) {
std::cout << "[" << word << "]" << std::endl; // Shows empty tokens too
}
return 0;
}? Handles multi-character delimiters
? More flexible
? Slightly more complex
3. Using Boost (if you can use external libraries)
If you're allowed to use Boost, it's the cleanest:
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>
#include <boost/algorithm/string.hpp>
int main() {
std::string input = "apple,banana,grape";
std::vector<std::string> tokens;
boost::split(tokens, input, boost::is_any_of(","));
for (const auto& word : tokens) {
std::cout << word << std::endl;
}
return 0;
}? Very clean and powerful
? Requires installing Boost (not standard)
4. Handling multiple delimiters (like whitespace)
If you want to split on any whitespace (space, tab, newline), just use stringstream:
std::vector<std::string> split_whitespace(const std::string& str) {
std::vector<std::string> tokens;
std::stringstream ss(str);
std::string token;
while (ss >> token) {
tokens.push_back(token);
}
return tokens;
}This automatically skips extra spaces and newlines.
Summary: Which to Use?
| Use Case | Recommended Method |
|---|---|
| Split by comma, space, etc. |
std::getline with stringstream
|
| Need multi-character delimiter |
find substr
|
| Want clean, robust code and can use Boost | boost::split |
| Split by any whitespace |
stringstream >> operator |
Basically, go with stringstream getline for most cases — it's simple, readable, and effective.
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