diff --git a/comphelper/inc/comphelper/namedvaluecollection.hxx b/comphelper/inc/comphelper/namedvaluecollection.hxx
index 72cd0e7cdfbe..e13059361b0a 100644
--- a/comphelper/inc/comphelper/namedvaluecollection.hxx
+++ b/comphelper/inc/comphelper/namedvaluecollection.hxx
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 
 #include <memory>
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <vector>
 
 //........................................................................
 namespace comphelper
@@ -91,6 +92,11 @@ namespace comphelper
 
         ~NamedValueCollection();
 
+        inline void assign( const ::com::sun::star::uno::Any& i_rWrappedElements )
+        {
+            impl_assign( i_rWrappedElements );
+        }
+
         inline void assign( const ::com::sun::star::uno::Sequence< ::com::sun::star::uno::Any >& _rArguments )
         {
             impl_assign( _rArguments );
@@ -117,6 +123,11 @@ namespace comphelper
         /// determines whether the collection is empty
         bool    empty() const;
 
+        /** returns the names of all elements in the collection
+        */
+        ::std::vector< ::rtl::OUString >
+                getNames() const;
+
         /** merges the content of another collection into |this|
             @param _rAdditionalValues
                 the collection whose values are to be merged
@@ -312,6 +323,7 @@ namespace comphelper
         }
 
     private:
+        void    impl_assign( const ::com::sun::star::uno::Any& i_rWrappedElements );
         void    impl_assign( const ::com::sun::star::uno::Sequence< ::com::sun::star::uno::Any >& _rArguments );
         void    impl_assign( const ::com::sun::star::uno::Sequence< ::com::sun::star::beans::PropertyValue >& _rArguments );
         void    impl_assign( const ::com::sun::star::uno::Sequence< ::com::sun::star::beans::NamedValue >& _rArguments );
diff --git a/comphelper/source/misc/namedvaluecollection.cxx b/comphelper/source/misc/namedvaluecollection.cxx
index 8bab7fa3d7c7..566e5526019c 100644
--- a/comphelper/source/misc/namedvaluecollection.cxx
+++ b/comphelper/source/misc/namedvaluecollection.cxx
@@ -99,21 +99,7 @@ namespace comphelper
     NamedValueCollection::NamedValueCollection( const Any& _rElements )
         :m_pImpl( new NamedValueCollection_Impl )
     {
-        Sequence< NamedValue > aNamedValues;
-        Sequence< PropertyValue > aPropertyValues;
-        NamedValue aNamedValue;
-        PropertyValue aPropertyValue;
-
-        if ( _rElements >>= aNamedValues )
-            impl_assign( aNamedValues );
-        else if ( _rElements >>= aPropertyValues )
-            impl_assign( aPropertyValues );
-        else if ( _rElements >>= aNamedValue )
-            impl_assign( Sequence< NamedValue >( &aNamedValue, 1 ) );
-        else if ( _rElements >>= aPropertyValue )
-            impl_assign( Sequence< PropertyValue >( &aPropertyValue, 1 ) );
-        else
-            OSL_ENSURE( !_rElements.hasValue(), "NamedValueCollection::NamedValueCollection(Any): unsupported type!" );
+        impl_assign( _rElements );
     }
 
     //--------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -169,6 +155,39 @@ namespace comphelper
         return m_pImpl->aValues.empty();
     }
 
+    //--------------------------------------------------------------------
+    ::std::vector< ::rtl::OUString > NamedValueCollection::getNames() const
+    {
+        ::std::vector< ::rtl::OUString > aNames( m_pImpl->aValues.size() );
+        ::std::transform(
+            m_pImpl->aValues.begin(),
+            m_pImpl->aValues.end(),
+            aNames.begin(),
+            ::std::select1st< NamedValueRepository::value_type >()
+        );
+        return aNames;
+    }
+
+    //--------------------------------------------------------------------
+    void NamedValueCollection::impl_assign( const Any& i_rWrappedElements )
+    {
+        Sequence< NamedValue > aNamedValues;
+        Sequence< PropertyValue > aPropertyValues;
+        NamedValue aNamedValue;
+        PropertyValue aPropertyValue;
+
+        if ( i_rWrappedElements >>= aNamedValues )
+            impl_assign( aNamedValues );
+        else if ( i_rWrappedElements >>= aPropertyValues )
+            impl_assign( aPropertyValues );
+        else if ( i_rWrappedElements >>= aNamedValue )
+            impl_assign( Sequence< NamedValue >( &aNamedValue, 1 ) );
+        else if ( i_rWrappedElements >>= aPropertyValue )
+            impl_assign( Sequence< PropertyValue >( &aPropertyValue, 1 ) );
+        else
+            OSL_ENSURE( !i_rWrappedElements.hasValue(), "NamedValueCollection::impl_assign(Any): unsupported type!" );
+    }
+
     //--------------------------------------------------------------------
     void NamedValueCollection::impl_assign( const Sequence< Any >& _rArguments )
     {