split and join
- Python course
- Beginner
- Lesson 88/116
- 4 min
Learn to split with split and join with join.
split and join
split splits a string by a separator into a list. join does the opposite: it joins a list with a separator into a string:
parts = "a,b,c".split(",")
# ["a", "b", "c"]
joined = ",".join(parts)
# "a,b,c"If no separator is given, split uses whitespace. join requires all list items to be strings; otherwise it raises TypeError.
These two methods are very handy for working with CSV files and log lines.
split separator usage
The split separator can be any character. Splitting by space is common:
words = "hello world python".split()
# ["hello", "world", "python"]If no separator is given, split() treats multiple spaces as one and trims leading/trailing spaces. This is ideal for parsing user input.
You can split more precisely by giving a separator.
Practice split and join together
Assign "a,b,c" to text. Assign text.split(",") to parts. Assign "-".join(parts) to result. Then print print(result).
Starter code
# Use split and joinSample solution
text = "a,b,c"
parts = text.split(",")
result = "-".join(parts)
print(result)Expected output
a-b-c
Questions and answers
Review the lesson questions together with their answers. To test yourself, solve the lesson interactively.
1 What does "a-b-c".split("-") return?
- "abc"
- ["a", "b", "c"] Correct answer
- ["a-b-c"]
- "a b c"
Explanation: split breaks by dash into a list.
2 Complete the join call
result = ____.join(["a", "b", "c"])result = ",".join(["a", "b", "c"])Explanation: ",".join(...) joins the list with commas.
3 Match split and join
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
split |
Split |
join |
Join |
",".join |
Join with comma |
"-".split |
Split by dash |