November 11, 2009 at 2:20 am
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Split string into table, separator can be more than 1 char
November 19, 2009 at 10:04 am
I like your function, because you use a CTE.:-D
I've been learning how and when to use CTE's and this is just another item that has helped me to better understand them.
This funciton has been done before, but I haven't seen it using a CTE.
Thanks!
November 20, 2009 at 6:43 am
Not a bad solution but using a recursive CTE and a multi-statement TVF this function is not very scalable.
Here is another solution to this problem:
CREATE function [dbo].[DelimitedSplit] (
@pString varchar(max),
@pDelimiter char(1)
)
returns table
as
return
with
a1 as (select 1 as N union all
select 1 union all
select 1 union all
select 1 union all
select 1 union all
select 1 union all
select 1 union all
select 1 union all
select 1 union all
select 1),
a2 as (select
1 as N
from
a1 as a
cross join a1 as b),
a3 as (select
1 as N
from
a2 as a
cross join a2 as b),
a4 as (select
1 as N
from
a3 as a
cross join a2 as b),
Tally as (select top (len(@pString))
row_number() over (order by N) as N
from
a4),
ItemSplit(
ItemOrder,
Item
) as (
SELECT
N,
SUBSTRING(@pDelimiter + @pString + @pDelimiter,N + 1,CHARINDEX(@pDelimiter,@pDelimiter + @pString + @pDelimiter,N + 1) - N - 1)
FROM
Tally
WHERE
N < LEN(@pDelimiter + @pString + @pDelimiter)
AND SUBSTRING(@pDelimiter + @pString + @pDelimiter,N,1) = @pDelimiter --Notice how we find the delimiter
)
select
row_number() over (order by ItemOrder) as ItemID,
Item
from
ItemSplit
November 20, 2009 at 6:51 am
November 20, 2009 at 6:54 am
It's a handy function, and a well written article. But, although I much prefer CTEs to subqueries, recursive CTEs are notoriously slow for this type of problem. Use of a tally table (also known as number table) for parsing delimited strings will do the same work in a fraction of the time, and there are even faster techniques in certain situations.
If you are not familiar with tally tables, it is really worth your while to become familiar with them. Jeff Moden's excellent article on the subject can be found here[/url].
For an amazing group discussion about parsing delimited strings, look here.
__________________________________________________
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Stop, children, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down. -- Stephen Stills
November 20, 2009 at 10:00 am
Hi,
You're right, using the Tally table is faster:
using this parameter:
DECLARE @Parameter VARCHAR(8000)
SET @Parameter = REPLICATE('Element01,Element02,Element03,Element04,Element05,',159)
So I got next execution times (running the same script several times):
- my function: 120 ~ 180 miliseconds
- Lynn's function: 90 ~ 140 miliseconds
- Jeff's function (a function created based on Jeff's example, using Tally table (already created on my database) : 90 ~ 140 miliseconds
Thanks!
Thanks.
November 20, 2009 at 10:11 am
This is the function that I am currently using, is it more efficient than the CTE ?
create FUNCTION [dbo].[func_CreateClientTableOrdered]
(
@item_list as varchar(4000)
)
RETURNS @Items Table(OrderNo int, Item varchar(60))
AS
BEGIN
declare @separator as char(1)
,@position as int
,@item as varchar(60)
,@OrderNoas int
set @OrderNo = 0
SET @separator = ','
SET @item_list = @item_list + @separator
SELECT @position = patindex('%'+@separator+'%', @item_list)
WHILE @position <> 0
BEGIN
SELECT @Item = left(@item_list, @position - 1)
SELECT @item_list = stuff(@item_list, 1, @position, '')
SELECT @position= patindex('%'+@separator+'%', @item_list)
INSERT @Items(OrderNo, Item)
SELECT @OrderNo, @Item
SELECT @OrderNo= @OrderNo + 1
END
RETURN
END
Can someone give me a good way of proving which function would perform better?
Or point me to an article on performance tuning functions. Thanks, Paul
November 20, 2009 at 10:17 am
phegel (11/20/2009)
This is the function that I am currently using, is it more efficient than the CTE ?
create FUNCTION [dbo].[func_CreateClientTableOrdered]
(
@item_list as varchar(4000)
)
RETURNS @Items Table(OrderNo int, Item varchar(60))
AS
BEGIN
declare @separator as char(1)
,@position as int
,@item as varchar(60)
,@OrderNoas int
set @OrderNo = 0
SET @separator = ','
SET @item_list = @item_list + @separator
SELECT @position = patindex('%'+@separator+'%', @item_list)
WHILE @position <> 0
BEGIN
SELECT @Item = left(@item_list, @position - 1)
SELECT @item_list = stuff(@item_list, 1, @position, '')
SELECT @position= patindex('%'+@separator+'%', @item_list)
INSERT @Items(OrderNo, Item)
SELECT @OrderNo, @Item
SELECT @OrderNo= @OrderNo + 1
END
RETURN
END
Can someone give me a good way of proving which function would perform better?
Or point me to an article on performance tuning functions. Thanks, Paul
First, look up in this thread, I posted a function that should perform better. Also, there is a link to another thread that contains a very good discussion on string parsing.
I can see two issues with your function. One, it is using a multi-statement TVF. Second, it is using a while loop. Both of these will keep your function from scaling well.
November 20, 2009 at 10:20 am
halford13 (11/20/2009)
Hi,You're right, using the Tally table is faster:
using this parameter:
So I got next execution times (running the same script several times):
- my function: 120 ~ 180 miliseconds
- Lynn's function: 90 ~ 140 miliseconds
- Jeff's function (a function created based on Jeff's example, using Tally table (already created on my database) : 90 ~ 140 miliseconds
Thanks!
Thanks.
I think you'll find that my function uses Jeff's split method, it just incorporates the tally table into the function itself.
November 20, 2009 at 11:15 am
Hi Lynn,
Yes, I saw you used Jeff's split method.
November 23, 2009 at 3:11 am
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