How to Split a String in Java Using Custom Regular Expressions

What is the best way to split a string in Java by using custom regular expressions?

String input = "apple,orange;banana|grape";
String[] result = input.split("[;,|]"); // Splits on comma, semicolon, or pipe

In Java, you can easily split a string into an array of substrings using the String.split() method with custom regular expressions (regex). This method allows you to define specific delimiters based on complex patterns.

String input = "apple,orange;banana|grape";
String[] result = input.split("[;,|]"); // Result: {"apple", "orange","banana", "grape"}

Causes

• Using incorrect regex patterns can lead to unexpected results when splitting the string.
• Not accounting for special characters in regex.

Solutions

• Ensure your regex correctly matches the delimiters you want.
• Test your regex using online regex testers before implementation.
• Remember to escape special regex characters when necessary.

Mistake: Not escaping special characters in the regex.

Solution: Use double backslashes to escape characters like \, (, ), etc.

Mistake: Using a regex that is too broad, resulting in empty strings in the output.

Solution: Refine your regex to include only the actual delimiters.