What is for Python what ‘explode’ is for PHP?

Choose one you need:

>>> s = "Rajasekar SP  def"
>>> s.split(' ')
['Rajasekar', 'SP', '', 'def']
>>> s.split()
['Rajasekar', 'SP', 'def']
>>> s.partition(' ')
('Rajasekar', ' ', 'SP  def')

str.split and str.partition