STRING_SPLIT is a built-in function in SQL Server that allows you to split a string into multiple rows based on a specified separator. While this function can be quite useful in some cases, there are also situations where it may not work as expected. Here are a few reasons why it may not work:

  1. Compatibility: It was first introduced in SQL Server 2016, so if you are using an older version of SQL Server, you won’t be able to use this function.
  2. Performance: While it can be useful in some cases, it may not be the most performant solution, especially when dealing with large datasets. In some cases, it may be better to use a custom split function or to redesign the data model.
  3. Separator ambiguity: STRING_SPLIT only supports a single-character separator. If your input string contains a multi-character separator, STRING_SPLIT will not be able to split the string correctly. In addition, if the separator occurs within the string itself, STRING_SPLIT may produce unexpected results.
  4. Data type limitations: It only works with string data types. If you need to split data that is stored in a different data type, you will need to convert it to a string first.
  5. Null values: If your input string contains null values, STRING_SPLIT will ignore them and produce unexpected results. It is important to filter out null values before using STRING_SPLIT.
  6. Collation: STRING_SPLIT is affected by the collation settings of the server. If the collation is case-sensitive, STRING_SPLIT may not work as expected when dealing with case-insensitive strings.

STRING_SPLIT can be a useful function for splitting strings in SQL Server, there are several reasons why it may not work as expected. It is important to consider the compatibility, performance, separator ambiguity, data type limitations, null values, and collation settings before using this function in your code.

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