application settings/properties

Hi,

I have a old vb6 application I maintain,

that has the settings in a separate xml file.

But now I have to move those "inside" (to remove the xml, don't ask why :) ).

What would be best place/"paradigm" for such

settings to be handled in vb6 ?

Like database connections, general parameters...

Also to be easy to change it, u know what I mean.

I just searched on the web but until now could not find it.

Of course it is easy to hard code the ones for the moment

but maybe is a better way.

Regards,
a

In VB6 most of these kinds of settings would be placed in an .ini file or in the registry. You could equally store them in a resource file. Part of how you would do this can depend also on the application i.e. is it a stand alone app is it a 'layered' app with seperate components residing on different physical boxes.

The XML File is not a lot different from an INI file (as you probably have discovered)

I guess one reason you are being asked to move the settings from the XML is because an XML file can easily be read (which may compromise various security issues)

Can I suggest that moving the settings either into a database table or into the registry may create its own set of issues, but is certainly a real alternative to XML

However, have you considered leaving the data in the XML file and simply encrypting the file once the settings are made. Then all your program has to do is decrypt the file and away you go

This will solve the security issue if thats what this is all about

Search the forum on Encryption as this topic has been discussed at length, not too long ago

Actually the reasons for stop using the xml is pretty stupid:

it is a big old application using lots of not supported 3d party dlls and not only dlls;

there is a setup that does include the xml when run/installed, but of course the old xml.

If I now add a new database connection in application and xml the xml will not be copied at new

release and if 500 users get the new version of exe automatically they ain't going to get the new

xml.

And I cannot make the same setup because I have no idea of all the entities related, I tried but

just didn't guessed it right.

So I want to move the setting "inside" sort to speak and then at new release it will come

together with the executable.

I think best for my application is to put it in registry. Why not in a table?

Because the user can connect to different databases, depending on the default one (from xml

for now) it initial connects to that and then he can choose other dbs.

Thanks guys.

I normally just use an ini file which is created at the first run of the software on the users pc using default values contained within the exe.