# NSNameSpecifier A specifier for an object in a collection (or container) by name. ``` class NSNameSpecifier ``` ## Overview As an example, the following script specifies both an application and a window by name. In this script, the named window’s implicitly specified container is the Finder application’s list of open windows. ```objc tell application "Finder" -- specifies an application by name close window "Reports" -- specifies a window by name end tell ``` This specifier works only for objects that have a name property. You don’t normally subclass `NSNameSpecifier`. The evaluation of an instance of `NSNameSpecifier` follows these steps until the specified object is found: 1. If the container implements a method whose selector matches the relevant `valueInWithName:` pattern established by scripting key-value coding, the method is invoked. This method can potentially be very fast, and it may be relatively easy to implement. 2. As is the case when evaluating any script object specifier, the container of the specified object is given a chance to evaluate the object specifier. If the container class implements the `indicesOfObjectsByEvaluatingObjectSpecifier` method, the method is invoked. This method can potentially be very fast, but it is relatively difficult to implement. 3. An instance of `NSWhoseSpecifier` that specifies the first object whose relevant `'pnam'` attribute matches the name is synthesized and evaluated. The instance of `NSWhoseSpecifier` must search through all of the keyed elements in the container, looking for a match. The search is potentially very slow. ## Topics ### Initializing a name specifier [`- initWithContainerClassDescription:containerSpecifier:key:name:`](/documentation/Foundation/NSNameSpecifier/init(containerClassDescription:containerSpecifier:key:name:)) Invokes the super class’s [`init(containerClassDescription:containerSpecifier:key:)`](/documentation/Foundation/NSScriptObjectSpecifier/init(containerClassDescription:containerSpecifier:key:)) method and then sets the name instance variable to `name`. ### Accessing a name specifier [`name`](/documentation/Foundation/NSNameSpecifier/name) Sets the name encapsulated with the receiver for the specified object in the container. ## Relationships ### Conforms To [`NSCoding`](/documentation/Foundation/NSCoding) [`NSObjectProtocol`](/documentation/ObjectiveC/NSObjectProtocol) [`Hashable`](/documentation/Swift/Hashable) [`CVarArg`](/documentation/Swift/CVarArg) [`CustomDebugStringConvertible`](/documentation/Swift/CustomDebugStringConvertible) [`Equatable`](/documentation/Swift/Equatable) [`SendableMetatype`](/documentation/Swift/SendableMetatype) [`Sendable`](/documentation/Swift/Sendable) [`CustomStringConvertible`](/documentation/Swift/CustomStringConvertible) ### Inherits From [`NSScriptObjectSpecifier`](/documentation/Foundation/NSScriptObjectSpecifier) --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)