strcat_delim
This page explains how to use the strcat_delim function in APL.
The strcat_delim function concatenates between 2 and 64 arguments with a specified delimiter between each argument. Use this function to build delimited strings like CSV rows, create formatted lists, or join fields with consistent separators.
Usage
Syntax
strcat_delim(delimiter, arg1, arg2, ..., argN)Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| delimiter | string | Yes | The separator string to insert between arguments. |
arg1, arg2, ..., argN | any | Yes | Between 2 and 64 expressions to concatenate. Non-string values are converted to strings. |
Returns
Returns all arguments concatenated with the delimiter between each argument.
Use case examples
Create CSV-formatted log records for export or integration with external systems.
Query
['sample-http-logs']
| extend csv_record = strcat_delim(',', method, status, uri, req_duration_ms, ['geo.country'])
| project _time, csv_record
| limit 10Output
| _time | csv_record |
|---|---|
| 2024-11-06T10:00:00Z | GET,200,/api/users,145,United States |
| 2024-11-06T10:01:00Z | POST,201,/api/orders,234,United Kingdom |
This query formats log fields as CSV records with comma delimiters, making them ready for export to spreadsheet applications or data warehouses.
Build pipe-delimited trace summaries for log aggregation systems.
Query
['otel-demo-traces']
| extend trace_summary = strcat_delim(' | ', ['service.name'], kind, tostring(duration), trace_id)
| project _time, trace_summary
| limit 10Output
| _time | trace_summary |
|---|---|
| 2024-11-06T10:00:00Z | frontend | server | 125ms | abc123 |
| 2024-11-06T10:01:00Z | checkout | client | 234ms | def456 |
This query creates pipe-delimited trace summaries that are easy to read and parse, combining service, kind, duration, and trace ID.
Format security alerts with structured field separators for SIEM integration.
Query
['sample-http-logs']
| extend alert = strcat_delim(' :: ', 'SECURITY_EVENT', status, method, uri, id, ['geo.country'])
| project _time, alert
| limit 10Output
| _time | alert |
|---|---|
| 2024-11-06T10:00:00Z | SECURITY_EVENT :: 403 :: GET :: /admin :: user123 :: United States |
| 2024-11-06T10:01:00Z | SECURITY_EVENT :: 401 :: POST :: /api :: user456 :: Unknown |
This query creates structured security alerts with double-colon delimiters, making them easy to parse in SIEM systems while remaining human-readable.
List of related functions
- strcat: Concatenates strings without delimiters. Use this when you want direct concatenation or need custom separators for each position.
- split: Splits strings by delimiters. Use this to reverse strcat_delim operations and extract individual fields.
- parse_csv: Parses CSV strings. Use this to parse the output of strcat_delim with comma delimiters.
- format_url: Formats URLs from components. Use this specifically for URL construction rather than general delimited concatenation.