Delimiter & SQL List Converter
Convert lists between formats — comma-separated values, SQL WHERE IN, PostgreSQL arrays, MongoDB queries, JSON, and more.
Client-side only — nothing leaves your browser
What is a Delimiter Converter?
A delimiter converter transforms lists between formats. Paste a column of values and convert to comma-separated lists, SQL queries, JSON arrays, or database-specific syntax. Commonly used for building WHERE IN clauses, preparing bulk data, and converting between spreadsheet columns and code-ready formats.
Supported Formats
- SQL WHERE IN — Ready-to-use IN clause with quoting
- PostgreSQL ARRAY — ARRAY literal for ANY() queries
- MongoDB $in — Query filter with $in operator
- Elasticsearch Terms — Terms query for multi-value matching
- MySQL SET — Variable assignment with FIND_IN_SET
- Python List — Ready-to-paste Python list literal
- JSON / CSV — Standard data interchange formats
Common Use Cases
| Task | Input | Format | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filter by IDs in SQL | 1, 2, 3 | SQL WHERE IN | WHERE id IN (1, 2, 3) |
| Excel column to list | Column (newline) | Delimited | 'a', 'b', 'c' |
| Build PG array | a, b, c | PG ARRAY | ARRAY['a', 'b', 'c'] |
| MongoDB filter | active, pending | MongoDB $in | { status: { $in: [...] } } |
| Bulk Redis lookup | key1, key2 | Redis MGET | MGET key1 key2 |
| MySQL variable | a, b, c | MySQL SET | SET @id = 'a,b,c' |
| Python script | x, y, z | Python List | ['x', 'y', 'z'] |
| List to JSON | a, b, c | JSON Array | ["a", "b", "c"] |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a delimiter?
A delimiter is a character used to separate values in a list or data file. Common delimiters include commas (CSV files), tabs (TSV files), pipes, semicolons, and newlines. This tool converts between different delimiter formats and generates database-specific query syntax.
What is the difference between a delimiter and a separator?
In practice, the terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a subtle distinction. A delimiter marks the boundary between values (e.g., the comma in CSV), while a separator is the character placed between items but not at the start or end of the list. For example, in 'a,b,c' the comma acts as both. The distinction matters when parsing — a trailing comma creates an empty final element with delimiter semantics but not with separator semantics.
How do I convert a comma-separated list to rows in Excel or SQL?
In Excel, paste your comma-separated list here, choose 'Column' output, then paste the result into a spreadsheet — each value lands in its own row. In SQL, you can use STRING_SPLIT (SQL Server), UNNEST(STRING_TO_ARRAY(...)) in PostgreSQL, or a recursive CTE to expand a delimited string into rows for joins and filtering.
How do I add quotes to a comma-separated list?
Single quotes are the standard for SQL string literals (e.g., WHERE status IN ('active', 'pending')). Double quotes are used for JSON values and SQL column identifiers. Backticks are MySQL's syntax for quoting column and table names. For numeric IDs like integers, don't add quotes — most databases will reject '123' where they expect an integer type. Choose the quote style that matches your target syntax.
How do I handle values that contain commas or quotes?
For CSV output, the tool automatically wraps values containing commas in double quotes and escapes existing double quotes by doubling them (RFC 4180). For SQL strings, replace single quotes with two single quotes (e.g., O''Brien). For JSON, backslash-escaping is applied automatically. When in doubt, use a delimiter that doesn't appear in your data — pipes and tabs are safer choices than commas for messy text.
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