A string split function for SQL Server

This is my string split function for SQL Server.

-- ================================================

-- Returns a table that contains the substrings in the source string that are delimited by the specified character.

-- Parameters specify the maximum number of substrings to return and whether to return empty strings.

-- ================================================

ALTER FUNCTION [dbo].[ufn_Split]

(

-- The source string to split.

@StringToSplit NVARCHAR(MAX),

-- The character that delimit the substrings,

-- NULL contains no delimiters.

@Separator NCHAR(1),

-- The maximum number of substrings to return.

@ReturnCount INT = NULL,

-- Specify 0 or NULL to omit empty strings in the table returned,

-- otherwise to include empty strings from the table returned.

@SplitOption BIT = 1

)

RETURNS @ReturnTable TABLE

(

[String] NVARCHAR(MAX)

)

AS

BEGIN

-- Test the @StringToSplit and @ReturnCount parameters

IF ((@StringToSplit IS NULL) OR (LEN(@StringToSplit) = 0))

OR ((@ReturnCount IS NOT NULL) AND (@ReturnCount <= 0))

GOTO FUNCTION_END;

-- Test the @Separator parameter

IF (@Separator IS NULL) OR (LEN(@Separator) = 0)

BEGIN

INSERT @ReturnTable VALUES (@StringToSplit);

GOTO FUNCTION_END;

END

-- Split the source string

DECLARE @Result TABLE ([String] NVARCHAR(MAX));

DECLARE @Length AS INT = LEN(@StringToSplit),

@Start AS INT = 0;

WHILE @Start <= @Length

BEGIN

DECLARE @Next AS INT = CHARINDEX(@Separator, @StringToSplit, @Start);

DECLARE @Sub NVARCHAR(MAX);

IF @Next >= 1

BEGIN

SET @Sub = SUBSTRING(@StringToSplit, @Start, @Next - @Start);

INSERT @Result VALUES (@Sub);

SET @Start = @Next + 1;

END

ELSE

BEGIN

IF @Start <= @Length

BEGIN

SET @Sub = SUBSTRING(@StringToSplit, @Start, @Length - @Start);

INSERT @Result VALUES (@Sub);

END

BREAK

END

END

IF SUBSTRING(@StringToSplit, @Length, 1) = @Separator

INSERT INTO @Result VALUES ('');

-- Clean results according to the @SplitOption parameter

IF (@SplitOption = 0) OR (@SplitOption IS NULL)

DELETE FROM @Result WHERE [String] = '';

-- Limit the return count

DECLARE @ResultCount AS INT;

SELECT @ResultCount = COUNT([String]) FROM @Result;

IF (@ReturnCount IS NOT NULL) AND (@ResultCount > @ReturnCount)

SET @ResultCount = @ReturnCount;

-- Add results to the to be returned table

DECLARE @String AS NVARCHAR(MAX);

DECLARE ResultCursor CURSOR FOR SELECT * FROM @Result;

OPEN ResultCursor;

FETCH NEXT FROM ResultCursor INTO @String;

WHILE (@@FETCH_STATUS = 0) AND (@ResultCount > 0)

BEGIN

INSERT @ReturnTable VALUES (@String);

FETCH NEXT FROM ResultCursor INTO @String;

SET @ResultCount = @ResultCount - 1;

END

CLOSE ResultCursor;

DEALLOCATE ResultCursor;

-- Return the function

FUNCTION_END:

RETURN;

END