D2006: New StrictDelimiter property

The TStrings class has had a new property added to it in Delphi 2006. This new property is called StrictDelimiter.

Previously if you wanted to import a CSV (comma separated file) into your Delphi application using the CommaText property on a TStringList object you had to modify the output generated from popular spreadsheet applications.

This was because some spreadsheet applications don't quote ("") items when they contain a space in the text, nor should they have to, the comma is the delimiter not the space. Finally this issue has been solved in Delphi 2006 by the addition of the StrictDelimiter property.

The property is False by default to ensure backwards compatibility.

Example Usage:

Generated with HyperDelphi procedure TfrmMain.bLoadClick(Sender: TObject); var slTemp: TStringList; begin slTemp := TStringList.Create; try // load the test string into the stringlist slTemp.CommaText := eTestString.Text; // load the commatext value of the stringlist into the first memo mStrictDelimiterFalse.Lines.Text := slTemp.CommaText; // clear the previous contents of the stringlist slTemp.Clear; // turn on the StrictDelimiter property slTemp.StrictDelimiter := True; // load the test string into the stringlist slTemp.CommaText := eTestString.Text; // load the commatext value of the stringlist into the second memo mStrictDelimiterTrue.Lines.Text := slTemp.CommaText; finally slTemp.Free; end; end;

Example Output:

Verify how in the first memo the three four text have a comma separating them. In the second memo, you now see that three four are grouped together. I know I consider the second memo to contain the results I want.