Values
property Values[const Name: string]: string read write;
Example
procedure SetMode(const Items: TStringList);
begin
Items.NameValueSeparator := '=';
Items.Values['Mode'] := 'Test';
end;
Usage
Values gets or changes the first name-matched value, adding on nonempty miss and deleting on empty assignment.
- Do not use empty read alone to distinguish missing from empty.
- Assigning empty deletes and can shift indexes or detach/free an associated object according to string list ownership.
- Enforce unique/canonical names separately if dictionary semantics are required.
Additional Technical Info
Values is declared by hidden ancestor TStrings and is normally used through a concrete visible descendant such as TStringList. It is a convenience view over string entries, not a dictionary with unique keys.
Source-backed behaviour
The getter calls IndexOfName and returns the substring after Length(Name) + 1 characters from the first match; no match yields empty. Comparison follows the concrete list's case/locale policy.
The setter also targets the first match. A nonempty value adds an empty entry when absent, then replaces the selected entry with Name + NameValueSeparator + Value. An empty value deletes the matched entry and does nothing when absent. Therefore explicit empty values cannot be represented through this setter, and duplicate names beyond the first remain. TStringList prohibits the replacement step while sorted, so a missing-name assignment can add an empty entry and then raise, leaving that partial mutation behind.
Related members
IndexOfName identifies the selected entry. Names and ValueFromIndex expose indexed parts.