How to properly save application data for later use

Question

Ok, so I am working on a c# windows forms application and it uses different types of structures that hold data and display to the user. I want to use a saveDialogBox to allow the user to save the information(i.e configuration, state). The only way I can think to do this is to make a routine that goes through the structures and write the corresponding elements to a text file. Upon loading this routine would be used to load the data back.

This is of course a dumb way to do it I'll admit. Anything I've done in school was only writing to text files. Is there other ways to make some formatted file to save and load from?

I've been looking at serialization to save objects to files. I am not too sure how all this works though. help.

Answer 1

to save your application setting .. I think these links will help you

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa730869%28VS.80%29.aspx http://www.thescarms.com/dotnet/AppSettings.aspx

and

How to use settings in Visual C#