code: def str_to_list(
      input_str,
      item_converter=lambda x: x,
      item_separator=',',
      list_to_collection_converter=None,
  ):
      
      if not isinstance(input_str, six.string_types):
          raise ValueError(input_str)
      input_str = str_quote_stripper(input_str)
      result = [
          item_converter(x.strip())
          for x in input_str.split(item_separator) if x.strip()
      ]
      if list_to_collection_converter is not None:
          return list_to_collection_converter(result)
      return result
docs: a conversion function for list