Difference between revisions of "Configuration Files"

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(General rule: use config files for anything local)
m (Reverted edits by 84.126.161.165 (Talk); changed back to last version by Wickr)
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[[Category:Patterns]]
 
[[Category:Patterns]]
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=General rule: use config files for anything local=
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==Specific rule: Use a configuration file format that can represent complex data==
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That’s right, I’m looking at you, .ini and .properties files.
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Use something like YAML, or XML, or even straight programming-language code (i.e., a file with a PHP hash or a perl hashref or whatnot) that can actually represent, in a logical way, the complexities of the stuff you need to configure. And then, again, have a singleton class that will read that data and expose it in a useful and safe way.
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And include a semantics checker if you can manage to write one.  It’ll save everyone a load of trouble.
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Huge bonus points if your configuration singleton class can read from multiple files, overriding previous (default) definitions with subsequent (local) ones.

Revision as of 05:22, 24 April 2009


General rule: use config files for anything local

Specific rule: Use a configuration file format that can represent complex data

That’s right, I’m looking at you, .ini and .properties files.

Use something like YAML, or XML, or even straight programming-language code (i.e., a file with a PHP hash or a perl hashref or whatnot) that can actually represent, in a logical way, the complexities of the stuff you need to configure. And then, again, have a singleton class that will read that data and expose it in a useful and safe way.

And include a semantics checker if you can manage to write one. It’ll save everyone a load of trouble.

Huge bonus points if your configuration singleton class can read from multiple files, overriding previous (default) definitions with subsequent (local) ones.