# split(maxSplits:omittingEmptySubsequences:whereSeparator:) Returns the longest possible subsequences of the collection, in order, that don’t contain elements satisfying the given predicate. ``` func split(maxSplits: Int = Int.max, omittingEmptySubsequences: Bool = true, whereSeparator isSeparator: (Self.Element) throws -> Bool) rethrows -> [Self.SubSequence] ``` ## Parameters `maxSplits` The maximum number of times to split the collection, or one less than the number of subsequences to return. If `maxSplits + 1` subsequences are returned, the last one is a suffix of the original collection containing the remaining elements. `maxSplits` must be greater than or equal to zero. The default value is `Int.max`. `omittingEmptySubsequences` If `false`, an empty subsequence is returned in the result for each pair of consecutive elements satisfying the `isSeparator` predicate and for each element at the start or end of the collection satisfying the `isSeparator` predicate. The default value is `true`. `isSeparator` A closure that takes an element as an argument and returns a Boolean value indicating whether the collection should be split at that element. ## Return Value An array of subsequences, split from this collection’s elements. ## Discussion The resulting array consists of at most `maxSplits + 1` subsequences. Elements that are used to split the sequence are not returned as part of any subsequence. The following examples show the effects of the `maxSplits` and `omittingEmptySubsequences` parameters when splitting a string using a closure that matches spaces. The first use of `split` returns each word that was originally separated by one or more spaces. ``` let line = "BLANCHE: I don't want realism. I want magic!" print(line.split(whereSeparator: { $0 == " " })) // Prints "["BLANCHE:", "I", "don\'t", "want", "realism.", "I", "want", "magic!"]" ``` The second example passes `1` for the `maxSplits` parameter, so the original string is split just once, into two new strings. ``` print(line.split(maxSplits: 1, whereSeparator: { $0 == " " })) // Prints "["BLANCHE:", " I don\'t want realism. I want magic!"]" ``` The final example passes `false` for the `omittingEmptySubsequences` parameter, so the returned array contains empty strings where spaces were repeated. ``` print(line.split(omittingEmptySubsequences: false, whereSeparator: { $0 == " " })) // Prints "["BLANCHE:", "", "", "I", "don\'t", "want", "realism.", "I", "want", "magic!"]" ``` > Complexity: O(*n*), where *n* is the length of the collection. --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)