Splitting string with pipe character ("|")

In-depth understanding and approaches

Taming the special characters

One might think split("|") should do. But remember, it's regex that split operates on. Don't forget to escape (\\) your pipe!

Dealing with tricky delimiters: Pattern.quote()

When the delimiters can get complex (I mean regex type!), don't sweat. Java's got your back with Pattern.quote():

String delimiter = "|"; // this could be as strange as you can imagine
String[] parts = input.split(Pattern.quote(delimiter)); // voila, auto-escape!
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Trailing spaces: Early autopsy

Before launching into splitting, perform an autopsy on the string. Root out trailing/leading white-spaces using String.trim():

String[] parts = input.trim().split("\\|"); // Now this feels clean!
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The quirky strings: Be proactive

Those edge cases with consecutive delimiters or unexpected ones can give anyone a hard time. Remember, test against diverse input strings.

StringTokenizer: Old but gold

Hold on, we aren't over yet! For simpler string splitting tasks, StringTokenizer is the veteran artisan:

StringTokenizer tokenizer = new StringTokenizer(input, "|"); // "don't forget me", it says quietly
while (tokenizer.hasMoreTokens()) {
    System.out.println(tokenizer.nextToken());
}
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The Pattern magic

For those who like to wrest control from the system, look no further. The Pattern class offers the ultimate control and performance:

Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile("\\|");
Matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(input);
while(matcher.find()) {
    // Do your stuff here, you're the boss now!
}
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Mind the ambiguity

Are there empty strings or strings that start or end with a delimiter? Pros always anticipate and plan for edge cases:

String[] robustParts = "|one|two|three|".split("\\|", -1); // Brilliant! even the empty strings find a place
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Mastering the fine nuances

Complex scenarios require you to wield regex patterns like a pro. Make it your best friend.

Coding like a sentinel

Did you validate inputs? Did you escape user-provided strings? Remember, great power comes with great responsibility.