Split names in Coda
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Occasionally, you might find yourself with a lengthy list of full names, each containing both a first and last name. But how do you efficiently separate these components? In this blog post, I’ll demonstrate a straightforward solution. I’ll begin by sharing how to generate sample data using AI
Second I inject the proposed values.
Third I have a table that is already prefilled, although I did not ask for it.
We’ll operate under one key assumption: first names are connected by hyphens. With that established, we can begin constructing our formula. This approach offers a solution that aligns with my readability preference: you can easily follow it from left to right.
We begin by splitting the full name at each space and label it as “base.” Next, we take the first element from “base” and place it in the “firstName” column. Finally, everything remaining in “base” after the first element is placed in the “famName” column.
The last step involves filtering the string. We combine the elements in the “famName” column using Join(“ “), inserting spaces between them. This results in the output you see; without Join(), the elements would be separated by commas.
There you have it! Coda proves to be a valuable tool in these situations. As AI continues to advance, tasks like this will become even more streamlined. I’m already utilizing Gemini 1.5, which excels in this context.
I hope you enjoyed this article. If you have questions feel free to reach out. My name is Christiaan and blog about Coda. Though this article is for free, my work (including advice) won’t be, but there is always room for a chat to see what can be done. You find my (for free) contributions in the Coda Community and on Twitter. the Coda Community provides great insights for free once you add a sample doc.
All the AI features we are starting to see appear — lower prices, higher speeds, multimodal capability, voice, large context windows, agentic behavior — are about making AI more present and more naturally connected to human systems and processes. If an AI that seems to reason like a human being can see and interact and plan like a human being, then it can have influence in the human world. This is where AI labs are leading us: to a near future of AI as coworker, friend, and ubiquitous presence. I don’t think anyone, including OpenAI, has a full sense of all of the implications of this shift, and what it will mean for all of us. — source: Ethan Mollick from One Useful Thing.
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