Storing application config in an XML file

I have also done some work with dynamic variables from an xml file and an oo aproach to retrieving those variables. Check it out if you like - http://www.danvega.org/blog/

I’ve also used the ol’ WDDX format for storing config information when I want to have a configuration screen rather than direct editing an XML file. Nice thing about WDDX is the easy two way conversion. Store stuff in a config struct, convert it to WDDX and save it to a file, load it in and display on a master configuration form by converting back into the config struct and using that value for the form. No requirements of having to parse through the nodes, just direct reference to the struct element.

Thanks Dan, I did actually find your post too, and downloaded the code. It looks good and it’s great how you can edit them but I really wanted a super-simple solution in this case.

Christopher, that’s a good idea too, becuase the most complex part of the whole system is parsing the XML. But the advantage of XML is that the site admin, who is not a CF programmer, can load up the XML file and make tweaks to file paths and such quite easily.

Kay, you’re making my head swell:). Thank you for your kind words.

LOL, no Jim, thank *you* for your contribution

I disagree. Why? XML files are browser readable - Application.cfm is not (unless your server dies and servers it up as a text file). You could be opening you application up to all sorts of security risks.

Hey Peter, you’re right… but I don’t think it’s an insurmountable problem. Either the XML file could be stored outside the webroot - probably the easiest solution - or IIS could be used to protect that particular file from being requested directly.

Peter: Typically the file is stored as something.xml.cfm. This is the norm in Fusebox, Model-Glue and config.cfc and prevents it from being read in the browser.