下面的示例使用递归CTE

更新18.09.2013

CREATE FUNCTION dbo.SplitStrings_CTE(@List nvarchar(max), @Delimiter nvarchar(1))
RETURNS @returns TABLE (val nvarchar(max), [level] int, PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED([level]))
AS
BEGIN
;WITH cte AS
 (
  SELECT SUBSTRING(@List, 0, CHARINDEX(@Delimiter,  @List + @Delimiter)) AS val,
         CAST(STUFF(@List + @Delimiter, 1, CHARINDEX(@Delimiter, @List + @Delimiter), '') AS nvarchar(max)) AS stval, 
         1 AS [level]
  UNION ALL
  SELECT SUBSTRING(stval, 0, CHARINDEX(@Delimiter, stval)),
         CAST(STUFF(stval, 1, CHARINDEX(@Delimiter, stval), '') AS nvarchar(max)),
         [level] + 1
  FROM cte
  WHERE stval != ''
  )
  INSERT @returns
  SELECT REPLACE(val, ' ','' ) AS val, [level]
  FROM cte
  WHERE val > ''
  RETURN
END

演示SQLFiddle

修改@Aaron Bertrand的功能

CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[SplitString]
(
    @List NVARCHAR(MAX),
    @Delim VARCHAR(255),
    @Idx int
)
RETURNS NVARCHAR(1000)
AS
BEGIN
    DECLARE @ValueTable TABLE(String NVARCHAR(50), Ind int)
    DECLARE @Value NVARCHAR(50)
    BEGIN
    INSERT INTO @ValueTable
    SELECT Value, idx FROM
        (SELECT [Value], idx = RANK() OVER (ORDER BY n) FROM 
              ( 
                SELECT n = Number, 
                [Value] = LTRIM(RTRIM(SUBSTRING(@List, [Number],
                CHARINDEX(@Delim, @List + @Delim, [Number]) - [Number])))
                FROM    
                        (SELECT Number = ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY name)
                         FROM sys.all_objects) AS x
                WHERE Number <= LEN(@List)
                AND SUBSTRING(@Delim + @List, [Number], LEN(@Delim)) = @Delim
              ) AS y
          ) AS R WHERE idx = @Idx
    SET @Value = (SELECT String FROM @ValueTable)
    END
    RETURN @Value
END
GO

Aaron Bertrand的回答很好，但也有缺陷。它不能准确地将空格作为分隔符处理(就像最初问题中的示例一样)，因为长度函数将空格带在后面。

下面是他的代码，稍微调整了一下，允许使用空格分隔符:

CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[SplitString]
(
    @List NVARCHAR(MAX),
    @Delim VARCHAR(255)
)
RETURNS TABLE
AS
    RETURN ( SELECT [Value] FROM 
      ( 
        SELECT 
          [Value] = LTRIM(RTRIM(SUBSTRING(@List, [Number],
          CHARINDEX(@Delim, @List + @Delim, [Number]) - [Number])))
        FROM (SELECT Number = ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY name)
          FROM sys.all_objects) AS x
          WHERE Number <= LEN(@List)
          AND SUBSTRING(@Delim + @List, [Number], LEN(@Delim+'x')-1) = @Delim
      ) AS y
    );

可以利用Number表进行字符串解析。

创建一个物理数字表:

    create table dbo.Numbers (N int primary key);
    insert into dbo.Numbers
        select top 1000 row_number() over(order by number) from master..spt_values
    go

创建具有1000000行的测试表

    create table #yak (i int identity(1,1) primary key, array varchar(50))

    insert into #yak(array)
        select 'a,b,c' from dbo.Numbers n cross join dbo.Numbers nn
    go

创建函数

    create function [dbo].[ufn_ParseArray]
        (   @Input      nvarchar(4000), 
            @Delimiter  char(1) = ',',
            @BaseIdent  int
        )
    returns table as
    return  
        (   select  row_number() over (order by n asc) + (@BaseIdent - 1) [i],
                    substring(@Input, n, charindex(@Delimiter, @Input + @Delimiter, n) - n) s
            from    dbo.Numbers
            where   n <= convert(int, len(@Input)) and
                    substring(@Delimiter + @Input, n, 1) = @Delimiter
        )
    go

使用情况(在我的笔记本电脑上40秒内输出3mil行)

    select * 
    from #yak 
    cross apply dbo.ufn_ParseArray(array, ',', 1)

清理

    drop table dbo.Numbers;
    drop function  [dbo].[ufn_ParseArray]

这里的性能并不惊人，但在100万行表上调用函数并不是最好的主意。如果将字符串拆分到多行，我会避免使用该函数。

几乎所有其他答案都是替换正在分割的字符串，这浪费了CPU周期并执行不必要的内存分配。

我在这里介绍了一种更好的进行字符串拆分的方法:http://www.digitalruby.com/split-string-sql-server/

代码如下:

SET NOCOUNT ON

-- You will want to change nvarchar(MAX) to nvarchar(50), varchar(50) or whatever matches exactly with the string column you will be searching against
DECLARE @SplitStringTable TABLE (Value nvarchar(MAX) NOT NULL)
DECLARE @StringToSplit nvarchar(MAX) = 'your|string|to|split|here'
DECLARE @SplitEndPos int
DECLARE @SplitValue nvarchar(MAX)
DECLARE @SplitDelim nvarchar(1) = '|'
DECLARE @SplitStartPos int = 1

SET @SplitEndPos = CHARINDEX(@SplitDelim, @StringToSplit, @SplitStartPos)

WHILE @SplitEndPos > 0
BEGIN
    SET @SplitValue = SUBSTRING(@StringToSplit, @SplitStartPos, (@SplitEndPos - @SplitStartPos))
    INSERT @SplitStringTable (Value) VALUES (@SplitValue)
    SET @SplitStartPos = @SplitEndPos + 1
    SET @SplitEndPos = CHARINDEX(@SplitDelim, @StringToSplit, @SplitStartPos)
END

SET @SplitValue = SUBSTRING(@StringToSplit, @SplitStartPos, 2147483647)
INSERT @SplitStringTable (Value) VALUES(@SplitValue)

SET NOCOUNT OFF

-- You can select or join with the values in @SplitStringTable at this point.

下面的示例使用递归CTE

更新18.09.2013

CREATE FUNCTION dbo.SplitStrings_CTE(@List nvarchar(max), @Delimiter nvarchar(1))
RETURNS @returns TABLE (val nvarchar(max), [level] int, PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED([level]))
AS
BEGIN
;WITH cte AS
 (
  SELECT SUBSTRING(@List, 0, CHARINDEX(@Delimiter,  @List + @Delimiter)) AS val,
         CAST(STUFF(@List + @Delimiter, 1, CHARINDEX(@Delimiter, @List + @Delimiter), '') AS nvarchar(max)) AS stval, 
         1 AS [level]
  UNION ALL
  SELECT SUBSTRING(stval, 0, CHARINDEX(@Delimiter, stval)),
         CAST(STUFF(stval, 1, CHARINDEX(@Delimiter, stval), '') AS nvarchar(max)),
         [level] + 1
  FROM cte
  WHERE stval != ''
  )
  INSERT @returns
  SELECT REPLACE(val, ' ','' ) AS val, [level]
  FROM cte
  WHERE val > ''
  RETURN
END

演示SQLFiddle