How To Properly Use Python String RSplit Method [Detailed Python Guide]

In this tutorial, we’ll learn what Python string rsplit() method is and how to properly use it. We’ll go through multiple Python code examples to understand how rsplit method works.

Introduction: Python String rsplit() Method

This method splits a string starting from the right/end and return a list of strings. We can specify from which character/substring, the string should break. If not specified any, then whitespaces will be used.

Syntax of rsplit() Method

string.rsplit(separator(optional), maxSplitNumbers(optional))

• Python string rsplit method takes two arguments.
• First argument is used to specify which character should be used to split/break the string.
• Second argument specify the number of splits that should be performed.
• This method starts splitting the string from right/end.
• Python string rsplit method return a list of substrings after breaking/splitting the main string.

Example 1: rsplit() Method applied on a Python String

print('a,b,c,d,e,f'.rsplit(',')) 
print('Python Programming language'.rsplit()) 
print('Python Programming'.rsplit('program'))  // Program(capital P) is present by program is not
print('Python_Programming_Language'.rsplit('_')) 
print('Python $Programming $Python $language'.rsplit('$'))

Output

['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f'] 
['Python', 'Programming', 'language'] 
['Python Programming'] 
['Python', 'Programming', 'Language'] 
['Python ', 'Programming ', 'Python ', 'language']

This is how Python string rsplit method works. You can try it with even more examples to better understand the working of this method.

Example 2: rsplit() Method with MaxSplit

print('a b c d e f g h'.rsplit(' ',4))  // whitespace separator used
print('a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h'.rsplit(',',1)) 
print('a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h'.rsplit(',',3)) 
print('a-b-c-d-e-f-g-h'.rsplit('-',0)) 
print('a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h'.rsplit('',2)) // empty separator gives error

Output

['a', 'b', 'c', 'd,e,f,g,h'] 
['a-b-c-d-e-f-g-h'] 
['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e f g h'] 
['a', 'b,c,d,e,f,g,h']
ValueError: empty separator

So this is how we can limit the number of splits in a string. Splitting starts from right and can be seen in the above given examples.

Example 3: Python String rsplit() Method Return Value

val= 'a, d,e,f,g,bb,c,h' 
returnedVal=val.rsplit(',',4) 
print(returnedVal)

Output

['a, d,e,f', 'g', 'bb', 'c', 'h']  // splitting starts from the right/end

Python string rsplit method has returned a list of substrings after splitting the main string. This method uses whitespace as a default separator, if no other separator is specified.

Conclusion

To conclude this tutorial, hope you now have a detailed practical understanding of how to properly use Python string rsplit method. I’d be very happy to receive your feedback on this post. Thank you for reading it.