When should you use app properties?

Application properties should be used when one or more of the following are true:

• The data consists of simple key/value pairs

• The data is related to the application rather than the user

• The data does not require other data in order to be meaningful or useful

• There needs to be only one version of the data stored at any one time

For example, storing a string/string key pair of api_url and http://www.1and1.com/website-builder would be a valid way of using app properties. This URL could be reused across all your application screens or windows and would be related to your application, rather than your data.

If your data is complex and needs to be joined, ordered, or queried while you are retrieving it, then you are better off using a local database built with SQLite. If your data is a file or a large blob object (for example, an image), then it is better stored on the filesystem.

What object types can be stored as app properties?

There are currently six distinct types...