How to store changes made in a GUI ?

Question

Hi all,

I have developed a Windows form with 7 tabs. Each tab has some check boxes, radio buttons and labels.
Now when I make changes and close the application, when I reopen it again I want the application to remember the changes that have been done prior on it i.e what check boxes, radio buttons have been checked.
What is the best way to do this? I was planning to write a Xml file and then make changes to that. Is there any other way or better way to do this ?
If there is some sample code that would be appreciated.

Sam Hobbs · Answer

Okay well open the Properties folder and double-click on Settings.Settings; not the Settings.Designer.cs file. You will see a table with columns for name, type and data. If you use the default (user) for the type, then the value can be set (saved) during execution; if you use "Application" for the type then there will not be code for saving during execution; an application property is intended to be a constant. The settings are actually saved in a XML file but the advantage of the settings is that there is code in .Net that makes the settings easy to use. To get the value of a setting, just type in properties and intellisense will guide you. It will be Properties.Settings.Default.Settingname where Settingname is the name you provided for the setting. You save values using Properties.Settings.Default.Save().

Damodar · Answer

Thanks a lot guys. I finished it. I put the type as bool and the default values of all the checkboxes as false. In the event for each checkbox i wrote this code Form1.Properties.Settings.Default.CheckBox1 = true; Form1.Properties.Settings.Default.Save(); And then in the public Form1() I wrote this to bring up the previously saved values. checkBox1.checked = Form1.Properties.Settings.Default.CheckBox1; Thank you all for ur help. You made my task easy.

Donald Ramsey · Answer

I personally use properies.settings. Just in case the user deletes a config file. How To Use the Settings Class in C# http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cs/PropertiesSettings.aspx

Sam Hobbs · Answer

Note that the "property settings" also use XML, so Damodar is using XML by using project settings and it is the easiest way to do it.

CherRon McLemore · Answer

Kirtan Patel: I have a similar problem that I need resloved. Can you explain how to do this with XML.

Sam Hobbs · Answer

Another way to do it is to use the form closed event and save the checked property of each checkbox in the project settings.

Damodar · Answer

Hey all, Thank you very much for the settings class. I am not able to understand which value I have to give. I am doing like this Name Type Scope Value CheckBox1 System.Windows.Forms.CheckBox User ??? Now about retrieving the values. Where do I write the code to retrieve the values last saved when I reopen the application. Please help me in this regard. Thanks a lot for your support.

Chris Riley · Answer

open de box put de changes in de box close de box selotape de box put xml sticker on de box the box is allll goood no to load changes from de box open de box and pour box content back into tabs saaaaaawwwwwted http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/182eeyhh(VS.80).aspx

Damodar · Answer

Dear Sam, Very little is to be stored or saved. It is just a matter of 5 Check Boxes and 4 Radio buttons. So, max it would be around 4 checkboxes and 1 Radio button that it should remember. I am not at all familiar with application properties. I have seen the Settings.Designer.cs file in properties. What should I do there ?

Sam Hobbs · Answer

Without knowing the details of how much needs to be saved, a good choice might be to store the data in the properties; are you familiar with application properties? Your VS project probably has a Properties foilder that has a Settings.Settings file; that is what I mean by proerties.

Kirtan Patel · Answer

best way is XML

How to store changes made in a GUI ?

Answers (11)