SQL Split function that handles string with delimeter appearing between text qualifiers?

Question

There are several SQL split functions, from loop driven, to using xml commands, and even using a numbers table. I haven\'t found one that supports text qualifiers.

Usin

Answer 1

Here is my solution:

CREATE FUNCTION fnSplitString
(
    @input nvarchar(MAX) 
)
RETURNS @emails TABLE
(
    email nvarchar(MAX) 
)
AS
BEGIN

DECLARE @len int = LEN(@input)
DECLARE @pos int = 1;
DECLARE @start int = 1;
DECLARE @ignore bit = 0;
WHILE(@pos<=@len)
BEGIN

    DECLARE @ch nchar(1) = SUBSTRING(@input, @pos, 1);

    IF ( @ch = '"' or @ch = '''')
    BEGIN
        SET @ignore = 1 - @ignore;
    END

    IF (@ch = ',' AND @ignore = 0)
    BEGIN
        INSERT @emails VALUES (SUBSTRING(@input, @start, @pos-@start));
        SET @start = @pos+1;
    END

    SET @pos = @pos + 1;
END

IF (@start<>@pos)
BEGIN
    INSERT @emails VALUES (SUBSTRING(@input, @start, @pos-@start));
END

RETURN
END
GO

DECLARE @input nvarchar(max) = 'jsmith@anywhere.com, "Sally \"Heat\" Jones" , "Mark Jones" , "Stone, Ron" ';

select * from fnSplitString(@input)