> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://axiom.co/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# 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.
## For users of other query languages
If you come from other query languages, this section explains how to adjust your existing queries to achieve the same results in APL.
In Splunk SPL, you typically concatenate with repeated delimiters. APL's `strcat_delim` provides a more concise approach.
```sql Splunk example theme={null}
| eval combined=field1.",".field2.",".field3
```
```kusto APL equivalent theme={null}
['sample-http-logs']
| extend combined = strcat_delim(',', field1, field2, field3)
```
In ANSI SQL, you use `CONCAT_WS` (concat with separator) for delimited concatenation. APL's `strcat_delim` provides similar functionality.
```sql SQL example theme={null}
SELECT CONCAT_WS(',', field1, field2, field3) AS combined FROM logs;
```
```kusto APL equivalent theme={null}
['sample-http-logs']
| extend combined = strcat_delim(',', field1, field2, field3)
```
## Usage
### Syntax
```kusto theme={null}
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**
```kusto theme={null}
['sample-http-logs']
| extend csv_record = strcat_delim(',', method, status, uri, req_duration_ms, ['geo.country'])
| project _time, csv_record
| limit 10
```
[Run in Playground](https://play.axiom.co/axiom-play-qf1k/query?initForm=%7B%22apl%22%3A%22%5B%27sample-http-logs%27%5D%20%7C%20extend%20csv_record%20%3D%20strcat_delim\(%27%2C%27%2C%20method%2C%20status%2C%20uri%2C%20req_duration_ms%2C%20%5B%27geo.country%27%5D\)%20%7C%20project%20_time%2C%20csv_record%20%7C%20limit%2010%22%7D)
**Output**
| \_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**
```kusto theme={null}
['otel-demo-traces']
| extend trace_summary = strcat_delim(' | ', ['service.name'], kind, tostring(duration), trace_id)
| project _time, trace_summary
| limit 10
```
[Run in Playground](https://play.axiom.co/axiom-play-qf1k/query?initForm=%7B%22apl%22%3A%22%5B%27otel-demo-traces%27%5D%20%7C%20extend%20trace_summary%20%3D%20strcat_delim\(%27%20%7C%20%27%2C%20%5B%27service.name%27%5D%2C%20kind%2C%20tostring\(duration\)%2C%20trace_id\)%20%7C%20project%20_time%2C%20trace_summary%20%7C%20limit%2010%22%7D)
**Output**
| \_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**
```kusto theme={null}
['sample-http-logs']
| extend alert = strcat_delim(' :: ', 'SECURITY_EVENT', status, method, uri, id, ['geo.country'])
| project _time, alert
| limit 10
```
[Run in Playground](https://play.axiom.co/axiom-play-qf1k/query?initForm=%7B%22apl%22%3A%22%5B'sample-http-logs'%5D%20%7C%20extend%20alert%20%3D%20strcat_delim\('%20%3A%3A%20'%2C%20'SECURITY_EVENT'%2C%20status%2C%20method%2C%20uri%2C%20id%2C%20%5B'geo.country'%5D\)%20%7C%20project%20_time%2C%20alert%20%7C%20limit%2010%22%7D)
**Output**
| \_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](/apl/scalar-functions/string-functions/strcat): Concatenates strings without delimiters. Use this when you want direct concatenation or need custom separators for each position.
* [split](/apl/scalar-functions/string-functions/split): Splits strings by delimiters. Use this to reverse strcat\_delim operations and extract individual fields.
* [parse\_csv](/apl/scalar-functions/string-functions/parse-csv): Parses CSV strings. Use this to parse the output of strcat\_delim with comma delimiters.
* [format\_url](/apl/scalar-functions/string-functions/format-url): Formats URLs from components. Use this specifically for URL construction rather than general delimited concatenation.