Question

I’m at the point in my first real application where I am adding in the user settings. I’m using Java and being very OO (and trying to keep it that way) so here are my ideas:

1. Load everything in the main() and
   pass it all ‘down the line’ to the
   required objects (array)
2. Same as above, but just pass the
   object that contains the data down
   the line
3. Load each individual setting as
   needed within the various classes.

I understand some of the basic pros and cons to each method (i.e. time vs. size) but I’m looking for some outside input as to what practices they’ve successfully used in the past.

Answer 1

Since configuration / settings are typically loaded once (at startup; or maybe a few times during the program’s runtime. In any way, we’re not talking about a very frequent / time-consuming process), I would prefer simplicity over efficiency.

That rules out option number (3). Configuration-loading will be scattered all over the place.

I’m not entirely sure what the difference is between (1) and (2) in your list. Does (1) mean “passing discreet parameters” and (2) mean “passing an object containing the entire configuration”? If so, I’d prefer (2) over (1).

The rule of thumb here is that you should keep things simple and concentrated. The advantage of reading configuration in one place is that it gives you better control in case the source of the configuration changes at some point.