Name Value Token List Parser

Parse escaped-delimited name=value tokens at the first equals sign; preserves duplicates, empty names and untrimmed values.

Description

Parse escaped-delimited name=value tokens at the first equals sign; preserves duplicates, empty names and untrimmed values.

A name/value list can preserve equals signs inside a value when only the first equals sign separates each pair.

When to use this tool

Parse escaped-delimited name=value tokens at the first equals sign; preserves duplicates, empty names and untrimmed values.

Prepare the supplied text, delimiter fields for this operation.
Compare the complete example with the representation used by your own input before carrying the result into another step.

How to use the tool and how it works

Enter text, delimiter. Use the exact text syntax, units and index conventions explained below.
Run the tool. If input validation fails, correct the supplied fields before interpreting any result.
Read result.pairs. Interpret false, null and empty lists using the distinctions below; they can be valid outputs.

Split text with the custom escaped-delimiter grammar. For each decoded token require an equals sign, split at its first occurrence and return the two text pieces.^[1]

Input field	Meaning and representation	Accepted input
text	text.	Text; at most 8,192 UTF-16 code units, subject to the grammar above
delimiter	delimiter.	Text; at most 8,192 UTF-16 code units, subject to the grammar above

Output field	Interpretation
result	Object containing the named outputs below.
result.pairs	The pairs list in the ordering and representation described above.

json

{
  "input": {
    "text": "a=1,b=2=3",
    "delimiter": ","
  },
  "output": {
    "result": {
      "pairs": [
        [
          "a",
          "1"
        ],
        [
          "b",
          "2=3"
        ]
      ]
    }
  }
}

Limitations and assumptions

Empty names and values are allowed; repeated names remain separate. The delimiter cannot be equals or a reserved escape conflict, and this is not URL-query or shell parsing.
All declared input fields are required and unexpected top-level fields are rejected. Numbers must be finite; lists are limited to 128 entries and ordinary text fields to 8,192 UTF-16 code units, with tighter limits where stated.
JSON text inputs must parse within bounded nesting and size limits. Numeric outputs outside the safe finite range are rejected; large exact integer results use decimal strings. Indexes and half-open spans are zero-based unless a rank is explicitly described as one-based.

Alternative or Complementary methods

Use a parser for the actual target format when the task requires CSV, shell, URL, calendar or filesystem semantics. These tools implement the specific small grammars stated here, without adding those surrounding conventions.

References

Tool behavior and example: Name Value Token List Parser — tool.io

Similar or alternative tools

Balanced Parenthesis Token Splitter
Split a literal delimiter only outside balanced parentheses; parentheses are retained, quotes and escapes have no special meaning.
Delimited Name Path Parser
Parse or format an abstract escaped-delimited name path with nonempty components; not a filesystem path normalizer.