--- product: Chilkat product_version: 11.7.0 language: pascal language_label: Lazarus Pascal class: StringTable license: free deprecated: false reference_html: https://www.chilkatsoft.com/refdoc/pascal_StringTableRef.html --- # Chilkat StringTable — Lazarus Pascal — v11.7.0 > Chilkat 11.7.0 · language=pascal · class=StringTable > Other versions: replace `11.7.0` in this URL. Other languages: `https://www.chilkatsoft.com/ai-docs/v/11.7.0//classes/StringTable.md`. > Language-wide rules (install, unlock, error model, strings/bytes): `https://www.chilkatsoft.com/ai-docs/v/11.7.0/pascal/guide.md`. ## Purpose **Store, load, search, sort, split, retrieve, and save ordered lists of strings.** `Chilkat.StringTable` is a simple ordered collection of strings. It can append strings directly, load one string per line from files or `StringBuilder`, search for substrings or wildcard matches, sort the collection, split strings into entries, retrieve strings by index, export the table as line-delimited text, and save the result to a file. **Ordered string collection** Store a list of strings in insertion order and retrieve individual entries by zero-based index. **Append and import** Add strings directly, append strings from a file, or load line-delimited text from a `StringBuilder`. **Search strings** Find entries containing a substring or matching a wildcard pattern when filtering or locating text values. **Sort entries** Sort the string collection when deterministic ordering or user-facing display order is needed. **Split into entries** Split delimited text into separate string-table entries for easier indexing, searching, sorting, or saving. **Export and save** Convert the table back to line-delimited text, copy it to a `StringBuilder`, or save the collection to a file. **Common pattern:** Use `StringTable` when application code needs a lightweight ordered list of text values. Append or load the strings, search or sort as needed, retrieve entries by index with `StringAt` or `StringAtSb`, then export the final list as line-delimited text or save it to a file. For an extended overview, see [StringTable Class Overview](https://www.chilkatsoft.com/stringtable_class_overview.asp). ## Object creation, unlocking and error handling **Create / Free** ```pascal uses Chilkat.StringTable; var obj: TStringTable; begin obj := TStringTable.Create; try if not obj.IsValid then raise Exception.Create('Failed to create a TStringTable instance.'); // ... use obj ... finally obj.Free; end; end; ``` `constructor Create;` Allocates the underlying CkStringTable object and returns a new TStringTable instance. Simply adding **Chilkat.StringTable** to the unit's `uses` clause is enough to locate and bind to the Chilkat shared library (DLL / .so / .dylib) at runtime — no separate load step is required. Check `obj.IsValid` after calling `Create`; it is `False` if the underlying library could not be found/loaded or the object could not be allocated (for example, when unlicensed). `destructor Destroy; override;` Every TStringTable created by calling `Create` should eventually be released by calling `.Free` (inherited from `TObject`). The destructor automatically disposes the underlying CkStringTable handle. A native (unmanaged) memory leak occurs if the object is never freed. Call `Global.UnlockBundle` once at the start of the program, before using this or any other Chilkat class. Any string unlocks a fully functional 30-day trial; a purchased unlock code is used in production. See `guide.md` for the exact code in Lazarus Pascal. ## Members common to every Chilkat class Documented once per language in `common-members.md`; listed here so this page is self-contained. | Property | Signature | Access | Meaning | |---|---|---|---| | `DebugLogFilePath` | `property DebugLogFilePath: string read GetDebugLogFilePath write SetDebugLogFilePath;` | read/write | If set to a file path, this property logs the LastErrorText of each Chilkat method or property call to the specified file. | | `LastErrorHtml` | `property LastErrorHtml: string read GetLastErrorHtml;` | read-only | Provides HTML-formatted information about the last called method or property. | | `LastErrorText` | `property LastErrorText: string read GetLastErrorText;` | read-only | Provides plain text information about the last called method or property. | | `LastErrorXml` | `property LastErrorXml: string read GetLastErrorXml;` | read-only | Provides XML-formatted information about the last called method or property. | | `LastMethodSuccess` | `property LastMethodSuccess: Boolean read GetLastMethodSuccess write SetLastMethodSuccess;` | read/write | Indicates the success or failure of the most recent method call: `True` means success, `False` means failure. | | `VerboseLogging` | `property VerboseLogging: Boolean read GetVerboseLogging write SetVerboseLogging;` | read/write | If set to `True`, then the contents of LastErrorText (or LastErrorXml, or LastErrorHtml) may contain more verbose information. | | `Version` | `property Version: string read GetVersion;` | read-only | Version of the component/library, such as "10.1.0" | ## Member index | Member | Kind | Signature | |---|---|---| | `Count` | property, read-only | `property Count: Integer read GetCount;` | | `Append` | method | `function Append(const value: string): Boolean;` | | `AppendFromFile` | method | `function AppendFromFile(maxLineLen: Integer;     const charset: string;     const path: string): Boolean;` | | `AppendFromSb` | method | `// sb is a TStringBuilder object. function AppendFromSb(sb: TChilkatBase): Boolean;` | | `Clear` | method | `procedure Clear;` | | `FindMatch` | method | `// sb is a TStringBuilder object. function FindMatch(sb: TChilkatBase;     caseSensitive: Boolean): Integer;` | | `FindSubstring` | method | `function FindSubstring(startIndex: Integer;     const substr: string;     caseSensitive: Boolean): Integer;` | | `GetStrings` | method | `function GetStrings(startIdx: Integer;     count: Integer;     crlf: Boolean): string;` | | `IntAt` | method | `function IntAt(index: Integer): Integer;` | | `SaveToFile` | method | `function SaveToFile(const charset: string;     bCrlf: Boolean;     const path: string): Boolean;` | | `Sort` | method | `function Sort(ascending: Boolean;     caseSensitive: Boolean): Boolean;` | | `SplitAndAppend` | method | `function SplitAndAppend(const inStr: string;     const delimiterChar: string;     exceptDoubleQuoted: Boolean;     exceptEscaped: Boolean): Boolean;` | | `StringAt` | method | `function StringAt(index: Integer): string;` | | `StringAtSb` | method | `// sb is a TStringBuilder object. function StringAtSb(index: Integer;     sb: TChilkatBase): Boolean;` | | `ToSb` | method | `// sb is a TStringBuilder object. function ToSb(sb: TChilkatBase): Boolean;` | | `WordFollowing` | method | `// sb is a TStringBuilder object. // sbWord is a TStringBuilder object. function WordFollowing(sb: TChilkatBase;     captureEmailAddr: Boolean;     sbWord: TChilkatBase): Integer;` | ## Properties ### StringTable.Count `Chilkat 11.7.0 · pascal · StringTable · Count · property · read-only · since 9.5.0.62` ```pascal property Count: Integer read GetCount; ``` The number of strings in the table. ## Methods ### StringTable.Append `Chilkat 11.7.0 · pascal · StringTable · Append · method · since 9.5.0.62` ```pascal function Append(const value: string): Boolean; ``` Appends a string to the table. Returns True for success, False for failure. ### StringTable.AppendFromFile `Chilkat 11.7.0 · pascal · StringTable · AppendFromFile · method · since 9.5.0.62` ```pascal function AppendFromFile(maxLineLen: Integer;     const charset: string;     const path: string): Boolean; ``` Appends strings, one per line, from a file. Each line in the `path` should be no longer than the length specified in `maxLineLen`. The `charset` indicates the character encoding of the contents of the file, such as `utf-8`, `iso-8859-1`, `Shift_JIS`, etc. Returns True for success, False for failure. ### StringTable.AppendFromSb `Chilkat 11.7.0 · pascal · StringTable · AppendFromSb · method · since 9.5.0.62` ```pascal // sb is a TStringBuilder object. function AppendFromSb(sb: TChilkatBase): Boolean; ``` Appends strings, one per line, from the contents of a StringBuilder object. Returns True for success, False for failure. ### StringTable.Clear `Chilkat 11.7.0 · pascal · StringTable · Clear · method · since 9.5.0.62` ```pascal procedure Clear; ``` Removes all the strings from the table. ### StringTable.FindMatch `Chilkat 11.7.0 · pascal · StringTable · FindMatch · method · since 11.1.0` ```pascal // sb is a TStringBuilder object. function FindMatch(sb: TChilkatBase;     caseSensitive: Boolean): Integer; ``` This string table object holds strings with wildcards. The method returns the index of the wildcarded string that matches the text in `sb`, or -1 if no match is found. `caseSensitive` specifies whether the matching should be case-sensitive. ### StringTable.FindSubstring `Chilkat 11.7.0 · pascal · StringTable · FindSubstring · method · since 9.5.0.77` ```pascal function FindSubstring(startIndex: Integer;     const substr: string;     caseSensitive: Boolean): Integer; ``` Return the index of the first string in the table containing `substr`. Begins searching strings starting at `startIndex`. If `caseSensitive` is `True`, then the search is case sensitive. If `caseSensitive` is `False` then the search is case insensitive. Returns -1 if the `substr` is not found. ### StringTable.GetStrings `Chilkat 11.7.0 · pascal · StringTable · GetStrings · method · since 9.5.0.87` ```pascal function GetStrings(startIdx: Integer;     count: Integer;     crlf: Boolean): string; ``` Return the number of strings specified by `count`, one per line, starting at `startIdx`. To return the entire table, pass 0 values for both `startIdx` and `count`. Set `crlf` equal to `True` to emit with CRLF line endings, or `False` to emit LF-only line endings. The last string is emitted includes the line ending. Returns True for success, False for failure. ### StringTable.IntAt `Chilkat 11.7.0 · pascal · StringTable · IntAt · method · since 9.5.0.63` ```pascal function IntAt(index: Integer): Integer; ``` Returns the Nth string in the table, converted to an integer value. The `index` is 0-based. (The first string is at index 0.) Returns -1 if no string is found at the specified index. Returns 0 if the string at the specified index exist, but is not an integer. ### StringTable.SaveToFile `Chilkat 11.7.0 · pascal · StringTable · SaveToFile · method · since 9.5.0.62` ```pascal function SaveToFile(const charset: string;     bCrlf: Boolean;     const path: string): Boolean; ``` Saves the string table to a file. The `charset` is the character encoding to use, such as `utf-8`, `iso-8859-1`, `windows-1252`, `Shift_JIS`, `gb2312`, etc. If `bCrlf` is `True`, then CRLF line endings are used, otherwise LF-only line endings are used. Returns True for success, False for failure. ### StringTable.Sort `Chilkat 11.7.0 · pascal · StringTable · Sort · method · since 9.5.0.87` ```pascal function Sort(ascending: Boolean;     caseSensitive: Boolean): Boolean; ``` Sorts the strings in the collection in ascending or descending order. To sort in ascending order, set `ascending` to `True`, otherwise set `ascending` equal to `False`. Returns True for success, False for failure. ### StringTable.SplitAndAppend `Chilkat 11.7.0 · pascal · StringTable · SplitAndAppend · method · since 9.5.0.62` ```pascal function SplitAndAppend(const inStr: string;     const delimiterChar: string;     exceptDoubleQuoted: Boolean;     exceptEscaped: Boolean): Boolean; ``` Splits a string into parts based on a single character `delimiterChar`. If `exceptDoubleQuoted` is `True`, then the delimiter char found between double quotes is not treated as a delimiter. If `exceptEscaped` is `True`, then an escaped (with a backslash) delimiter char is not treated as a delimiter. Returns True for success, False for failure. ### StringTable.StringAt `Chilkat 11.7.0 · pascal · StringTable · StringAt · method · since 9.5.0.62` ```pascal function StringAt(index: Integer): string; ``` Returns the Nth string in the table. The `index` is 0-based. (The first string is at index 0.) Returns True for success, False for failure. ### StringTable.StringAtSb `Chilkat 11.7.0 · pascal · StringTable · StringAtSb · method · since 11.2.0` ```pascal // sb is a TStringBuilder object. function StringAtSb(index: Integer;     sb: TChilkatBase): Boolean; ``` Appends the Nth string in the table to `sb`. The `index` is 0-based. (The first string is at index 0.) Returns True for success, False for failure. ### StringTable.ToSb `Chilkat 11.7.0 · pascal · StringTable · ToSb · method · since 11.3.0` ```pascal // sb is a TStringBuilder object. function ToSb(sb: TChilkatBase): Boolean; ``` Appends the entire string table to `sb` using CRLF line endings. Returns True for success, False for failure. ### StringTable.WordFollowing `Chilkat 11.7.0 · pascal · StringTable · WordFollowing · method · since 11.1.0` ```pascal // sb is a TStringBuilder object. // sbWord is a TStringBuilder object. function WordFollowing(sb: TChilkatBase;     captureEmailAddr: Boolean;     sbWord: TChilkatBase): Integer; ``` The method performs a case-insensitive search to return the index of a table entry matching `sb`, or -1 if there is no match. Set `captureEmailAddr` to `True` if the target word is expected to be an email address, otherwise set `captureEmailAddr` to `False`. `sbWord` will receive the word (email address) following the matched text. This method helps replace the outdated Chilkat Bounce class, which was used for identifying and categorizing bounced email types. ## Related classes [`StringBuilder`](https://www.chilkatsoft.com/ai-docs/v/11.7.0/pascal/classes/StringBuilder.md)