Registry question

make it as a class and implement Load / Save methods...

type
  MyString = string[255];

  TidList = class
  private
  public
    item1   : boolean;
    item2   : byte;
    itype   : MyString;
    iavail  : boolean;
    procedure SetValues (it1 : Boolean; it2 : Byte; itype : MyString; iav : Boolean);
    procedure LoadFromRegistry;
    procedure SaveToRegistry;
  end;

Here's an example, all-in-one, break out into separate routines...

procedure SaveOrLoad(aItem:tIDList);
const
  KeyName='SAVEME';
var
  R:tregistry;
begin
  R:=TRegistry.Create(KEY_READ);
  try
    R.RootKey = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE;

    // save
    R.OpenKey(KeyName,True); //create if doesn't exist
    with aItem do begin
      R.WriteBool('ITEM1');
      R.WriteString('ITYPE');
      R.WriteInteger('ITEM2');
      R.WriteBool('IAVAIL');
    end;

    // Load
    R.OpenKey(KeyName,False); //do not create if doesn't exist
    with aItem do begin
      item1:=R.ReadBool('ITEM1');
      itype:=R.ReadString('ITYPE');
      item2:=R.ReadInteger('ITEM2');
      iavail:=R.ReadBool('IAVAIL');
    end;
  finally
    R.Free;
  end;
end;

Oops...this is the SAVE part:

    with aItem do begin
      R.WriteBool('ITEM1',item1);
      R.WriteString('ITYPE',itype);
      R.WriteInteger('ITEM2',item2);
      R.WriteBool('IAVAIL',iavail);
    end;

rbohac, agreed that you CAN do that however I recommend against it; by writing the individual elements, you can survive a change of structure later on, e.g., allowing the use of registry entries from a prior release of the software even though the internal representation might have changed.

Another consideration - Microsoft is moving away from a centralized registry in .NET, in favour of local INI files. Therefore I believe that TRegistryIniFile is a better choice since it supports both the registry and *.ini files, depending on the opearting system.

sftweng - neat method you use, but what do you mean about ReadSection? (i've never really used the registry before other than to store the odd variable or two)

> Microsoft is moving away from a centralized registry in .NET, in favour of local INI files

I wish Microsoft would make up their mind - can you say U-Turn.  It used to be that INI files were the expected way to go then the registry was the better option to be used - now ini files are to be used again!  Sheesh!

I agree, but it is useful if you don't want the data to be <easily> editably by the end user

mantra246, ReadSection from Delphi help:

Reads all the key names from a specified section of an INI file into a string list.

procedure ReadSection (const Section: String; Strings: TStrings); override;

Description

Call ReadSection to retrieve the names of all keys within a specified section of an INI file into a string list object.

Section identifies the section from which to retrieve a list of key names. Strings specifies the string object to hold the retrieved names. Strings can point to a TString object such as a string list, or to a component property, such as Items for a TListBox component, that is a TString object itself.

rbohac, a good point. The usual tradeoff between ease of use and security. ;-)

Thanks to both sftweng and rbohac for showing two very good methods.

I raised the points to give you both the original 250 points each.

Thanks.