# How to select first name from user name column
**URL:** https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-to-select-first-name-from-user-name-column/57409
**Category:** Ask for Help
**Created:** [February 2, 2023, 10:49am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-to-select-first-name-from-user-name-column/57409 "2023-02-02T10:49:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@paul3463](https://community.glideapps.com/u/paul3463)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2023, 10:49am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-to-select-first-name-from-user-name-column/57409/1 "2023-02-02T10:49:52Z")
Hi:
I want to select the first name from the list if users so that I can create a greeting like: “Hi John” - but the user column includes second name too. I am sure it must be easy - but not sure how to do it.
I would appreciate your help.
Thanks
Paul
---
### Author:  [@glide](https://community.glideapps.com/u/glide)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2023, 10:49am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-to-select-first-name-from-user-name-column/57409/2 "2023-02-02T10:49:57Z")
_This is an experimental reply from a bot. Please like it if it’s correct._
You can use the Split Text action to separate the first and last name from the user name column. This action will split the text into two parts, based on a separator you specify. You can then use the first part of the split text as the first name. Learn more about the Split Text action here. [Glide • User profile columns](https://www.glideapps.com/docs/reference/values/user-profile-columns)
---
### Author:  [@Robert\_Petitto](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Robert_Petitto)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2023, 11:32am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-to-select-first-name-from-user-name-column/57409/3 "2023-02-02T11:32:11Z")
The answer above is half right. Split the Full Name at the space and then use a single value column to get the first value of the split text column (which would be the first name).
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### Author:  [@Darren\_Murphy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Darren_Murphy)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2023, 12:14pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-to-select-first-name-from-user-name-column/57409/4 "2023-02-02T12:14:58Z")
For a single column solution, you can use the [Extract Matching Text](https://www.glideapps.com/plugins/regex) plugin with the following regular expression:
```auto
^(^[\S]+)
```
Or you could use a JavaScript column with the following code:
```auto
return p1.split(' ')[0];
```
---
### Author:  [@paul3463](https://community.glideapps.com/u/paul3463)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2023, 11:13am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-to-select-first-name-from-user-name-column/57409/5 "2023-02-03T11:13:16Z")
Thanks. I’ve done this and it works. The first time I tried the single value was the first name of the first person in the user list - then repeated throughout the column. I tried again and it has produced a list of different names (even though it is the single value column). I don’t really understand the logic - but it is working. So thanks.
---
### Author:  [@paul3463](https://community.glideapps.com/u/paul3463)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2023, 11:15am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-to-select-first-name-from-user-name-column/57409/6 "2023-02-03T11:15:49Z")
Thanks. I’ve tried both the split text method and your JavaScript suggestion - which works well. Unfortunately I don’t know anything about JavaScript - so cannot understand WHY or HOW it works - but the fact that it does very neatly is cool. Thanks
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### Author:  [@Darren\_Murphy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Darren_Murphy)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2023, 11:31am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-to-select-first-name-from-user-name-column/57409/7 "2023-02-03T11:31:21Z")
It works in a very similar way as the Split Text + Single Value method that Bob gave you.
The JavaScript `split()` function accepts an input parameter, and will attempt to split it using the separator that you provide - the quoted bit inside the parentheses, in this case a single space.
As with the Split Text column, the JavaScript `split()` function will return an array. In this case, we only want the first element of the array, and the way we access that is by tagging the `[0]` on the end.
So it basically does exactly the same as Split Text + Single Value → First, but combines them both into a single step.
Or… we could just ask ChatGPT to explain it 😉
---
### Author:  [@paul3463](https://community.glideapps.com/u/paul3463)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2023, 9:27am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-to-select-first-name-from-user-name-column/57409/8 "2023-02-17T09:27:53Z")
Hi:
Sorry for not replying - for some reason your message got lost in my inbox. The ChatGPT explanation is amazing - I am really impressed by it. So clear.
Thanks for your help.
Paul