How to split strings into columns

Question

Hi guys,
I have a select like this:
select 'testing1'||'.'||'testing2'||'.'||'testing3' from dualwhich gives me an output like this:
testing1.testing2.testing3How can I split this into 3 columns in SQL PLUS?
Thank you in advance

Answer 1

user643734 wrote:
Thank you guys for all your help.
Hi,
I tried to resolve your problem using somme functions...
I know is a long, long story but it works.
Regards,
Ion--create table_pivot
CREATE TABLE pivot_table(id VARCHAR2(1) primary key, all_concat VARCHAR2(1810));
--add data
insert into pivot_table (id, all_concat) values('x','12345.2829303132.234234.234234.234234');
insert into pivot_table (id, all_concat) values('y','67890.2324252627.234234.234234.234234.332545');
insert into pivot_table (id, all_concat) values('z','11121314.12345.234234.234234.234234.23432.32453245.345435.345435');
insert into pivot_table (id, all_concat) values('a','151617.67890.234234.234234');
insert into pivot_table (id, all_concat) values('b','1819202122.1112131415.234234.234234.234234.345435');
insert into pivot_table (id, all_concat) values('c','2324252627');
insert into pivot_table (id, all_concat) values('h','2829303132.234234.234234.234234.23432.32453245.345435.345435.4325435.345');
insert into pivot_table (id, all_concat) values('r','');
set termout off
--procedures and functions to compile
--1. Main function to format strings
create or replace function fgetformatstring
(v_max_rows numeric, v_crt_row varchar2, v_table_source varchar2, v_save_to_table varchar2, v_option numeric)
return varchar2
is
v_crt_char      numeric:=0;
v_pos_char      numeric:=1;
v_count      numeric:=0;
v_string_out varchar2(500);
v_str_paded     varchar2(10):=',null';
v_length_pad     numeric;
v_diff_pad numeric;
l_crt_row varchar2(1800);
v_char char:=',';
v_delimiter char:='.';
l_save_to_table varchar2(1000);
l_max_rows     numeric;
begin
l_crt_row:=replace(v_crt_row,'.' ,',');
l_save_to_table:=v_save_to_table;
l_max_rows:=v_max_rows;
if v_option=0 then     --get the ',null' to paded in pivot_table     
loop
          v_pos_char:=v_crt_char;
          v_crt_char:=instr(v_crt_row,v_char, v_crt_char+1);
          v_count:=v_count+1;
exit when v_crt_char=0 or v_count=1000;
     end loop;
     v_string_out:=' ';
     v_count:=v_count-1;
     v_diff_pad :=l_max_rows-1-v_count;
if v_diff_pad >0 then                    --nothing to add
     v_length_pad:=length(v_str_paded);-- (+v_char)
     v_length_pad:=v_diff_pad*v_length_pad;
     v_length_pad:=v_length_pad+1;
     v_string_out:=rpad(v_string_out,v_length_pad,v_str_paded);
end if;
end if;
if v_option=1 then     --get definition of v_save_to_table
     v_count:=1;
     v_string_out:=' ';
     loop
exit when v_count=l_max_rows+1 or v_count>=1000;
v_length_pad:=length(v_string_out||'col'||to_char(v_count)||',');
          v_string_out:=rpad(v_string_out,v_length_pad,'col'||to_char(v_count)||',');
          v_count:=v_count+1;
     end loop;
v_string_out:=trim(v_char from v_string_out);
          --v_string_out:='id,'||v_string_out;
          v_string_out:=v_string_out;
end if;
if v_option=2 then     --get position of last comma  
loop
          v_pos_char:=v_crt_char;
          v_crt_char:=instr(v_crt_row,v_char, v_crt_char+1);
          v_count:=v_count+1;
exit when v_crt_char=0 or v_count=1000;
     end loop;
     v_string_out:=substr(v_crt_row,1,v_pos_char-1);
end if;
if v_option=3 then     --get numbers of delimiters(.)
loop
          v_pos_char:=v_crt_char;
          v_crt_char:=instr(v_crt_row,v_delimiter, v_crt_char+1);
--dbms_output.put_line( 'Rows: ' ||v_crt_row|| ' iteration: '||v_count);
          v_count:=v_count+1;
exit when v_crt_char=0 or v_count=1000;
     end loop;
     v_count:=v_count;
     v_string_out:=to_char(v_count);
end if;
if v_option=4 then     --get sql command to create v_save_to_table
     v_count:=1;
     v_string_out:=' ';
     loop
exit when v_count=l_max_rows+1 or v_count>=1000;
v_length_pad:=length(v_string_out||'col'||to_char(v_count)||' varchar2(40), ');
          v_string_out:=rpad(v_string_out,v_length_pad,'col'||to_char(v_count)||' varchar2(40), ');
          v_count:=v_count+1;
     end loop;
v_string_out:=trim(' ' from v_string_out);
          v_string_out:=trim(v_char from v_string_out);
          v_string_out:='create table '|| l_save_to_table ||'('||v_string_out||')';
end if;
if v_option=5 then     --get numbers of delimiters(,) 
loop
          v_pos_char:=v_crt_char;
          v_crt_char:=instr(v_crt_row,',', v_crt_char+1);
          v_count:=v_count+1;
exit when v_crt_char=0 or v_count=1000;
     end loop;
     v_count:=v_count-1;
     v_string_out:=to_char(v_count);
end if;
dbms_output.put_line( 'string: ' ||v_string_out|| ' option: '||v_option);
return v_string_out;
end;
--2.get max items
create or replace function fgetmaxitems
--get the max number of items founded in the pivot_table.all_concat
--before change the points with comma
return numeric
is
v_max                numeric:=0;
v_field               pivot_table.all_concat%type;
v_crt_max numeric:=0;
v_crt_row     varchar(1000);
cursor c1 is
select all_concat from pivot_table;
begin
v_crt_max:=0;
v_max:=0;
open c1;
loop
fetch c1 into v_field;
exit when c1%notfound;
v_crt_row:=v_field;
v_crt_max:=fgetformatstring(0,v_crt_row,'pivot_table','',3);
if v_crt_max>v_max then
     v_max:=v_crt_max;
end if;
end loop;
close c1;
return v_max;
end;
--3. insert the rows in table_dest
create or replace procedure pinsertrow
v_max_rows numeric,
v_all_concat varchar2,
v_source_table_name varchar2,
v_save_to_tablename varchar2
is
v_sql_string      varchar2(1000);
l_all_concat     varchar2(1500);
begin
l_all_concat:=replace(v_all_concat,'.' ,',');
v_sql_string:='('||l_all_concat||')';
v_sql_string:=' insert into ' ||v_save_to_tablename
||' (' ||fgetformatstring(v_max_rows,l_all_concat,v_source_table_name,v_save_to_tablename,1)||')'||
' values'||v_sql_string ;
execute immediate v_sql_string;
end;
--4.procedure to create dinamically <table_dest>
create or replace procedure pcreatesavetable
(v_table_source varchar2, v_save_to_table varchar2)
is
v_sql_string      varchar2(1000);
already_exists exception;
pragma exception_init(already_exists,-955);
v_max numeric;
begin
--clear empty values;
v_sql_string:='delete from ' ||v_table_source|| ' where length(all_concat)=0 or (all_concat) is null';
execute immediate v_sql_string;
v_sql_string:='';
v_max:=fgetmaxitems;
     --create new table
     v_sql_string:=fgetformatstring(v_max,'all_concat', v_table_source,v_save_to_table,4);
dbms_output.put_line( 'sql create : '|| v_sql_string);
execute immediate v_sql_string;
exception
     when already_exists then
--delete old table
     v_sql_string:='drop table ' ||v_save_to_table;
     execute immediate v_sql_string;
     --create new table
     v_sql_string:=fgetformatstring(v_max,'all_concat', v_table_source,v_save_to_table,4);
dbms_output.put_line( 'sql recreate final_table : '|| v_sql_string);
execute immediate v_sql_string;
end;
--5.main procedure
create or replace procedure pmainproc(v_save_to_table varchar2)
is
v_key_pivot      pivot_table.id%type;
v_column_pivot     pivot_table.all_concat%type;
v_max numeric;
v_crt_row          varchar2(1600);
cursor c2 is select y.id , y.all_concat
     from pivot_table y
;     --cursor upon pivot_table 
begin
v_max:=fgetmaxitems;
if v_max <> 0 then
--clear empty values;
delete from pivot_table where length(all_concat)=0 or (all_concat) is null;
--change all points with comma
update
(select x.id, x.all_concat from pivot_table x, pivot_table y where x.id=y.id) b
set b.all_concat=replace(b.all_concat,'.', ',');
-- padd the all_concat with ',null'
update
(select x.id, x.all_concat from pivot_table x, pivot_table y where x.id=y.id and
fgetformatstring(v_max,x.all_concat,'pivot_table',v_save_to_table,5) <> v_max
) b
set b.all_concat=b.all_concat || fgetformatstring(v_max,b.all_concat,'pivot_table',v_save_to_table,0);
--remove last
update pivot_table
set all_concat= fgetformatstring(v_max,all_concat,'pivot_table',v_save_to_table,2)
where fgetformatstring(v_max,all_concat,'pivot_table',v_save_to_table,5) = v_max;
open c2;
loop
fetch c2 into      v_key_pivot, v_column_pivot;
exit when c2%notfound;
v_crt_row:=v_column_pivot;
-- insert data in to final_table
pinsertrow(v_max,v_crt_row,'pivot_table',v_save_to_table);
end loop;
close c2;
end if;
end;
--create table_dest
--the table_dest will be created automatically, so you need admin privilege to run that before compile pcreatesavetable :
connect / as sysdba or connect system/password
--grant create table to hr;
--conne hr/hr;
exec pcreatesavetable('pivot_table','table_dest');
--add data to table_dest
exec pmainproc('table_dest');
set termout on
select * from table_dest;
Table created.
1 row created.
1 row created.
1 row created.
1 row created.
1 row created.
1 row created.
1 row created.
1 row created.
Function created.
Function created.
Procedure created.
Procedure created.
Procedure created.
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
COL1 COL2 COL3 COL4 COL5 COL6 COL7 COL8 COL9 COL10
12345 2829303132 234234 234234 234234
67890 2324252627 234234 234234 234234 332545
11121314 12345 234234 234234 234234 23432 32453245 345435 345435
151617 67890 234234 234234
1819202122 1112131415 234234 234234 234234 345435
2324252627
2829303132 234234 234234 234234 23432 32453245 345435 345435 4325435 345
7 rows selected.