Why doesn't my TStringList gets sorted - delphi

Question

I Have a TStringList I create on FormCreate
ScriptList := TStringList.Create;
In another function in my program after I have loaded strings into the list I have the following code
ScriptList.Sorted := True;
ScriptList.Sort;
for i := 0 to ScriptList.Count - 1 do
ShowMessage(ScriptList[i]);
But the list is not sorted
Why is that?
Edited:
Filling the list is done by the following code
function TfrmMain.ScriptsLocate(const aComputer: boolean = False): integer;
var
ScriptPath: string;
TempList: TStringList;
begin
TempList := TStringList.Create;
try
if aComputer = True then
begin
ScriptPath := Folders.DirScripts;
Files.Search(TempList, ScriptPath, '*.logon', False);
ScriptList.AddStrings(TempList);
end
else
begin
if ServerCheck then
begin
ScriptPath := ServerPath + 'scripts_' + Network.ComputerName + '\';
Folders.Validate(ScriptPath);
TempList.Clear;
Files.Search(TempList, ScriptPath, '*.logon', False);
ScriptList.AddStrings(TempList);
Application.ProcessMessages;
ScriptPath := ServerPath + 'scripts_' + 'SHARED\';
Folders.Validate(ScriptPath);
TempList.Clear;
Files.Search(TempList, ScriptPath, '*.logon', False);
ScriptList.AddStrings(TempList);
end;
end;
finally
TempList.Free;
end;
ScriptList.Sort;
Result := ScriptList.Count;
end;
The filesearch function:
function TFiles.Search(aList: TstringList; aPathname: string; const aFile: string = '*.*'; const aSubdirs: boolean = True): integer;
var
Rec: TSearchRec;
begin
Folders.Validate(aPathName, False);
if FindFirst(aPathname + aFile, faAnyFile - faDirectory, Rec) = 0 then
try
repeat
aList.Add(aPathname + Rec.Name);
until FindNext(Rec) <> 0;
finally
FindClose(Rec);
end;
Result := aList.Count;
if not aSubdirs then Exit;
if FindFirst(aPathname + '*.*', faDirectory, Rec) = 0 then
try
repeat
if ((Rec.Attr and faDirectory) <> 0) and (Rec.Name<>'.') and (Rec.Name<>'..') then
Files.Search(aList, aPathname + Rec.Name, aFile, True);
until FindNext(Rec) <> 0;
finally
FindClose(Rec);
end;
Result := aList.Count;
end;
The main problem is that the list is filled OK with the items I want, but it never gets sorted.

Answer 1

When you set Sorted to True you are saying that you want the list to be maintained in order. When new items are added, they will be inserted in order. When Sorted is True, the Sort method does nothing because the code is built on the assumption that the list is already order.
So, in your code calling Sort does nothing and could be removed. However, I would take the alternative approach, remove the setting of Sorted and call Sort explicitly:
ScriptList.LoadFromFile(...);
ScriptList.Sort;
for i := 0 to ScriptList.Count - 1 do
...
Now, in fact I think that your code is not quite as you have claimed. You claim that you load the file, and then set Sorted to True. That cannot be the case. Here is the SetSorted implementation:
procedure TStringList.SetSorted(Value: Boolean);
begin
if FSorted <> Value then
begin
if Value then Sort;
FSorted := Value;
end;
end;
So, if Sorted is False when you set it to True, the list will be sorted.
But even that does not explain what you report. Because if Sorted is True when you call LoadFromFile, each new line will be inserted in order. So, what you report in the question cannot be the whole story.
Unless you are making subsequent additions to the list, it is cleaner, in my view, to ignore the Sorted property. Leave Sorted as its default value of False. And call Sort when you want to enforce an ordering to the list. All the same, it might be worth digging a bit deeper to understand why your assertions in the question don't tally with the implementation of TStringList.