Can't do str.split("|") ?

[spoken]

Hi,

I'm trying to read a file with data seperated by "|" character.
Ex:
3578.27|2001|Ro ad Bikes|Metchosin |Canada
3399.99|2001|Mo untain Bikes|Pantin|Fr ance
3399.99|2001|Mo untain Bikes|Lebanon|U nited States

After reading the first line, I'm trying to split the string into an array by doing

String[] x = str.split("|");

However java see "|" as an alternation rather than a regex delimiter for my string.

And I cannot change the data file because it has over 3000 lines.

Regards,
Gordon

[JosAH]

The '|' character is special to the regular expression compiler so you should escape
it with a '\' (backslash), but then again the backslash is also special to the Java
compiler (javac) so you should escape it twice; use "\\|"

kind regards,

Jos

[hirak1984]

If the trailing fields are optional, you need to write:
[CODE=Java]line.split("\\| ",-1);[/CODE]

demo:
[CODE=Java]import java.util.Array s;

public class Splitsville {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String[] data = {
"a|b|c|d|e" ,
"||||",
"||c||"
};
for(String line : data) {
String[] tokens = line.split("\\| ");
System.out.prin tln("split: " + Arrays.toString (tokens));
String[] tokens2 = line.split("\\| ",-1);
System.out.prin tln("split with -1: " + Arrays.toString (tokens2));
}
}
}[/CODE]

[r035198x]

Hi,

I'm trying to read a file with data seperated by "|" character.
Ex:
3578.27|2001|Ro ad Bikes|Metchosin |Canada
3399.99|2001|Mo untain Bikes|Pantin|Fr ance
3399.99|2001|Mo untain Bikes|Lebanon|U nited States

After reading the first line, I'm trying to split the string into an array by doing

String[] x = str.split("|");

However java see "|" as an alternation rather than a regex delimiter for my string.

And I cannot change the data file because it has over 3000 lines.

Regards,
Gordon

Escape the special character using \\
i.e split("\\|");

[r035198x]

first of all, this is not a solution. It is a suggestion rather.

String str = "3578.27|2001|Road Bikes|Metchosin|Canada";
		String str1 = str.replace("|", ",");
		String[] x = str1.split("'");
		int i=0;
		while (i<x.length){
		System.out.println(x[i++]);
		}

What if there are words with ' in them?

[hirak1984]

actually this works:

Str.split("\\|");

[r035198x]

actually this works:

Str.split("\\|");

Yes. That's the third time that that is being said. The explanation is in the first reply.

[spoken]

Thank you all for your replies.

Yes,
str.split("\\|" );
works perfectly.

Thanks again.. :D