Where is the best place to store application parameters : database, file, code…?

Question

I am developing a Ruby on Rails website and I have an \"architectural\" question : my application needs some parameters and I\'m wondering where to store them.

In co

Answer 1

I put them in the database. I have a lot of these, and they are all pretty straightforward lists of strings. The tables are all the same - id, name, description.

I generate models for them rather than having an actual model file for each one. In app/models I have a file called active_record_enums.rb, which in your case would look something like this:

ACTIVE_RECORD_ENUMS = %w{
  ValidationStatus
  SendingStatus
}

ACTIVE_RECORD_ENUMS.each do |classname|
  eval "class #{classname} < ActiveRecord::Base; end"
  classname.constantsize.class_eval do 
    # Add useful methods - id_for(name) and value_for(id) are handy
  end
end

This file has to be required in a config file somewhere; other than that it's pretty straightforward.