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Names

property Names[Index: Integer]: string read;

Example​

procedure ReadFirstName(const Items: TStringList; var Name: string);
begin
  Items.NameValueSeparator := '=';
  if Items.Count > 0 then
    Name := Items.Names[0];
end;

Usage​

Names returns the text before the first NameValueSeparator at an indexed entry, or an empty string when no separator exists.

  • Validate 0 <= Index < Count.
  • An empty result is ambiguous between a missing separator and an explicitly empty name.
  • Use IndexOfName or Values for name-based lookup.

Additional Technical Info​

Names is declared by hidden ancestor TStrings and is normally used through a concrete visible descendant such as TStringList. It is a parsed view of Strings[Index], not separate stored metadata.

Source-backed behaviour​

The installed getter reads the indexed string, finds the first NameValueSeparator with AnsiPos, and returns everything before it. If no separator occurs, the result is empty. Later separator characters remain in the value portion.

Index validation comes from the concrete string getter. A leading separator produces an empty name. Whitespace is not trimmed, case is not changed and duplicate names are permitted.

ValueFromIndex extracts the corresponding value. NameValueSeparator controls the split.

Official RTL references​

Created 2026-07-15