For the following scenario:

"I am populating a drop down list control with 5-10 items of static data.
This list control will appear in several ASP.NET pages."

What is the best practice? Should I,
a) Just add the items directly in the code?
b) Create an XML file with the items?
c) Store the items in a database?
d) Create a struct type with the items as properties?
e) Use a different method?

Thanks in advance for your help.

lfoulkrod (AT) nfp (DOT) NOSPAM.com.trash

"Larry Foulkrod" <lfoulkrod (AT) nfp (DOT) com.(nospam)> wrote

Think in terms of data volatility. Just how nonvolatile are the entries?
Sales tax rates, for example, are nonvolatile in the context of using
software on any given day, but do change over time. OTOH, the value of PI is
a true constant (at least, during my lifetime).
Any technique which embeds the data in your code costs more to maintain
unless you are dealing with true constants. Given the small number of data
items you've cited, any convenient external storage method would work.

--
Peter [MVP Visual Developer]
Jack of all trades, master of none.