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Root

property Root: TXMLNode read;

Example​

procedure SetRootName(Xml: TNativeXML);
var
  RootNode: TXMLNode;
begin
  if Xml = nil then Exit;

  RootNode := Xml.Root;
  if RootNode <> nil then
    RootNode.Name := 'Envelope';
end;

Usage​

Root returns a borrowed reference to the first top-level element, or nil when the document has no element node.

Additional Technical Info​

Root searches the document's top-level owned list and returns the first node whose native element type is xeElement. The native object is a TsdElement; Velox exposes it through the common TXMLNode surface.

The reference is borrowed. Do not Free it. Clear, New, any Load method or freeing the document destroys/replaces owned nodes and invalidates the reference.

A document made with the exposed constructor normally has a nonnil Root whose Name is empty. Set Name before saving. A malformed/partial load or a document containing only prolog nodes can return nil. Reading Root does not create a replacement.

If the internal tree contains multiple top-level elements, Root returns only the first; it does not report the structural error. FindFirst and FindNext can traverse the complete top-level list and descendants.

Root.Parent is nil because it is a top-level element. Its children/attributes/text remain document-owned and are reachable through the TXMLNode surface. The property performs no schema, namespace or legal-name validation.

Store Root only for a short operation scope. Re-read it after any method that can rebuild the document, and never share it across concurrent mutation.

The example is source-reviewed only; no root was accessed.

External references

Created 2026-07-15