What is the best way to serialize Delphi application configuration?

Question

I will answer this question myself, but feel free to provide your answers if you are faster than me or if you don't like my solution. I just came up with this idea and would like to have some opinions on that.

Goal: a configuration class that is readable (like an INI-file) but without having to write (and adapt after a new configuration item has been added) the load and save methods.

I want to create a class like

TMyConfiguration = class (TConfiguration)
  ...
  property ShowFlags : Boolean read FShowFlags write FShowFlags;
  property NumFlags : Integer read FNumFlags write FNumFlags;
end;

Calling TMyConfiguration.Save (inherited from TConfiguration) should create a file like

[Options]
ShowFlags=1
NumFlags=42

Question: What is the best way to do this?

Answer 1

This is my proposed solution.

I have a base class

TConfiguration = class
protected
  type
    TCustomSaveMethod = function  (Self : TObject; P : Pointer) : String;
    TCustomLoadMethod = procedure (Self : TObject; const Str : String);
public
  procedure Save (const FileName : String);
  procedure Load (const FileName : String);
end;

The Load methods look like this (Save method accordingly):

procedure TConfiguration.Load (const FileName : String);
const
  PropNotFound = '_PROP_NOT_FOUND_';
var
  IniFile : TIniFile;
  Count : Integer;
  List : PPropList;
  TypeName, PropName, InputString, MethodName : String;
  LoadMethod : TCustomLoadMethod;
begin
  IniFile := TIniFile.Create (FileName);
  try
    Count := GetPropList (Self.ClassInfo, tkProperties, nil) ;
    GetMem (List, Count * SizeOf (PPropInfo)) ;
    try
      GetPropList (Self.ClassInfo, tkProperties, List);
      for I := 0 to Count-1 do
        begin
        TypeName  := String (List [I]^.PropType^.Name);
        PropName  := String (List [I]^.Name);
        InputString := IniFile.ReadString ('Options', PropName, PropNotFound);
        if (InputString = PropNotFound) then
          Continue;
        MethodName := 'Load' + TypeName;
        LoadMethod := Self.MethodAddress (MethodName);
        if not Assigned (LoadMethod) then
          raise EConfigLoadError.Create ('No load method for custom type ' + TypeName);
        LoadMethod (Self, InputString);
        end;
    finally
      FreeMem (List, Count * SizeOf (PPropInfo));
    end;
  finally
    FreeAndNil (IniFile);
  end;

The base class could provide load and save methods for the delphi default types. I can then create a configuration for my application like this:

TMyConfiguration = class (TConfiguration)
...
published
  function  SaveTObject (P : Pointer) : String;
  procedure LoadTObject (const Str : String);
published
  property BoolOption : Boolean read FBoolOption write FBoolOption;
  property ObjOption : TObject read FObjOption write FObjOption;
end;

Example of a custom save method:

function TMyConfiguration.SaveTObject (P : Pointer) : String;
var
  Obj : TObject;
begin
  Obj := TObject (P);
  Result := Obj.ClassName;  // does not make sense; only example;
end;       

Answer 2

I use XML for all my application as means of configuration. It is:

• flexible
• future feature proof
• easy to read with any text reader
• very easy to extend in application. No class modifications needed

I have an XML library that makes it extremely easy to read or modify configuration, without even having to watch for missing values. Now you can also map the XML to a class inside application for faster access if speed is the issue, or certain values are read constantly.

I find other configuration methods far less optional:

• Ini file: no in depth structure, far less flexible
• registry: just keep away from that.