static variables in global.asax

[Sahil Malik [MVP]]

So here's a rather simple question.

Say in an ASP.NET application, I wish to share common constants as static
variables in global.asax (I know there's web.config bla bla .. but lets just
say I wanna use global.asax) ---

Would you declare your static var as ---

public static int x ;

or would you wrap it up in an accessor property as ---

private static int x ;
public static int X
{
get { return x ; }
}

.... and why?

- Sahil Malik [MVP]
ADO.NET 2.0 book -
http://codebetter.com/blogs/sahil.ma.../13/63199.aspx
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Ashura]

wrapper approach for sure in case that it requires to be thread safe in the
furture

regards

[Eliyahu Goldin]

It's a matter of your programming style. Some programmers, including myself,
prefer not to expose variable members and provide access via properties.
Otherwise there is nothing wrong with the first form.

Eliyahu

"Sahil Malik [MVP]" <co************ *****@nospam.co m> wrote in message
news:eT******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP12.phx.gbl...

So here's a rather simple question.

Say in an ASP.NET application, I wish to share common constants as static
variables in global.asax (I know there's web.config bla bla .. but lets just say I wanna use global.asax) ---

Would you declare your static var as ---

public static int x ;

or would you wrap it up in an accessor property as ---

private static int x ;
public static int X
{
get { return x ; }
}

... and why?

- Sahil Malik [MVP]
ADO.NET 2.0 book -
http://codebetter.com/blogs/sahil.ma.../13/63199.aspx
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- --

[Peter Rilling]

Either way if fine, if no code has to validate the variable X. Obviously
wrapping it in a property is more flexible.

Now, the questions, why put it in global.asax? If it were me, I would
create my own class that had the variables defined.
"Sahil Malik [MVP]" <co************ *****@nospam.co m> wrote in message
news:eT******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP12.phx.gbl...

So here's a rather simple question.

Say in an ASP.NET application, I wish to share common constants as static
variables in global.asax (I know there's web.config bla bla .. but lets
just say I wanna use global.asax) ---

Would you declare your static var as ---

public static int x ;

or would you wrap it up in an accessor property as ---

private static int x ;
public static int X
{
get { return x ; }
}

... and why?

- Sahil Malik [MVP]
ADO.NET 2.0 book -
http://codebetter.com/blogs/sahil.ma.../13/63199.aspx
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Kevin Spencer]

The global.asax file is a class definition. Static fields and properties
(*not* "variables" ) may be declared as members of any class, and may be
referenced by any other member of any other class in any assembly in any
application, as long as they are declared to be public, and as long as the
assembly containing the class which contains the static members is
referenced by any assembly having classes with members that may need to
access those fields.

Therefore, it matters not what class defintion you declare your static
members in, as long as that class is part of the application, and is
referenced by any other assemblies that may need access to it.

As to whether the field should or should not be accessed from outside the
class only by a property get accessor, there are a few considerations to
keep in mind:

1. Is there any additional processing necessary
to be performed when the field is accessed?
2. Is there, in fact, an existing field to be accessed?
Some properties return calculated data, not member data.
3. Are there any other factors which might justify the indirection
involved in accessing the data through a get accessor?
a. Programming Conventions: In some teams, this is a convention,
for various reasons, such as (b) below.
b. Extensibility. It is easier to extend a property than a field,
if necessary. It does not break the API to change the return value.

There may be factors which I didn't think of, but these cover the major
ones.

"Sahil Malik [MVP]" <co************ *****@nospam.co m> wrote in message
news:eT******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP12.phx.gbl...

So here's a rather simple question.

Say in an ASP.NET application, I wish to share common constants as static
variables in global.asax (I know there's web.config bla bla .. but lets
just say I wanna use global.asax) ---

Would you declare your static var as ---

public static int x ;

or would you wrap it up in an accessor property as ---

private static int x ;
public static int X
{
get { return x ; }
}

... and why?

- Sahil Malik [MVP]
ADO.NET 2.0 book -
http://codebetter.com/blogs/sahil.ma.../13/63199.aspx
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Sahil Malik [MVP]]

Well isn't there also a consideration of what may be threadsafe ??
"Eliyahu Goldin" <re************ *@monarchmed.co m> wrote in message
news:Od******** *****@TK2MSFTNG P10.phx.gbl...

It's a matter of your programming style. Some programmers, including
myself,
prefer not to expose variable members and provide access via properties.
Otherwise there is nothing wrong with the first form.

Eliyahu

"Sahil Malik [MVP]" <co************ *****@nospam.co m> wrote in message
news:eT******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP12.phx.gbl...

So here's a rather simple question.

Say in an ASP.NET application, I wish to share common constants as static
variables in global.asax (I know there's web.config bla bla .. but lets

just

say I wanna use global.asax) ---

Would you declare your static var as ---

public static int x ;

or would you wrap it up in an accessor property as ---

private static int x ;
public static int X
{
get { return x ; }
}

... and why?

- Sahil Malik [MVP]
ADO.NET 2.0 book -
http://codebetter.com/blogs/sahil.ma.../13/63199.aspx
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

--

[Sahil Malik [MVP]]

For statics?
"Ashura" <As****@discuss ions.microsoft. com> wrote in message
news:6D******** *************** ***********@mic rosoft.com...

wrapper approach for sure in case that it requires to be thread safe in
the
furture

regards

[Sahil Malik [MVP]]

Well .. either cannot be fine .. it may be fine for constants, but not for
read-write variables.

Not arguing the fact that global.asax isn't the best place for them .. I am
just arguing from a academic point of view.

- SM

"Peter Rilling" <pe***@nospam.r illing.net> wrote in message
news:Oz******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP09.phx.gbl...

Either way if fine, if no code has to validate the variable X. Obviously
wrapping it in a property is more flexible.

Now, the questions, why put it in global.asax? If it were me, I would
create my own class that had the variables defined.
"Sahil Malik [MVP]" <co************ *****@nospam.co m> wrote in message
news:eT******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP12.phx.gbl...

So here's a rather simple question.

Say in an ASP.NET application, I wish to share common constants as static
variables in global.asax (I know there's web.config bla bla .. but lets
just say I wanna use global.asax) ---

Would you declare your static var as ---

public static int x ;

or would you wrap it up in an accessor property as ---

private static int x ;
public static int X
{
get { return x ; }
}

... and why?

- Sahil Malik [MVP]
ADO.NET 2.0 book -
http://codebetter.com/blogs/sahil.ma.../13/63199.aspx
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Sahil Malik [MVP]]

Thanks Kevin, okay so your vote is for public static variablename rather
than get/set accessors?


"Kevin Spencer" <ke***@DIESPAMM ERSDIEtakempis. com> wrote in message
news:uH******** ******@tk2msftn gp13.phx.gbl...

The global.asax file is a class definition. Static fields and properties
(*not* "variables" ) may be declared as members of any class, and may be
referenced by any other member of any other class in any assembly in any
application, as long as they are declared to be public, and as long as the
assembly containing the class which contains the static members is
referenced by any assembly having classes with members that may need to
access those fields.

Therefore, it matters not what class defintion you declare your static
members in, as long as that class is part of the application, and is
referenced by any other assemblies that may need access to it.

As to whether the field should or should not be accessed from outside the
class only by a property get accessor, there are a few considerations to
keep in mind:

1. Is there any additional processing necessary
to be performed when the field is accessed?
2. Is there, in fact, an existing field to be accessed?
Some properties return calculated data, not member data.
3. Are there any other factors which might justify the indirection
involved in accessing the data through a get accessor?
a. Programming Conventions: In some teams, this is a convention,
for various reasons, such as (b) below.
b. Extensibility. It is easier to extend a property than a field,
if necessary. It does not break the API to change the return value.

There may be factors which I didn't think of, but these cover the major
ones.

"Sahil Malik [MVP]" <co************ *****@nospam.co m> wrote in message
news:eT******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP12.phx.gbl...

So here's a rather simple question.

Say in an ASP.NET application, I wish to share common constants as static
variables in global.asax (I know there's web.config bla bla .. but lets
just say I wanna use global.asax) ---

Would you declare your static var as ---

public static int x ;

or would you wrap it up in an accessor property as ---

private static int x ;
public static int X
{
get { return x ; }
}

... and why?

- Sahil Malik [MVP]
ADO.NET 2.0 book -
http://codebetter.com/blogs/sahil.ma.../13/63199.aspx
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Kevin Spencer]

I wish it were that simple, Sahid.

My vote is to use whatever is appropriate, keeping the considerations I
enumerated in mind.

--
HTH,

Kevin Spencer
Microsoft MVP
..Net Developer
There's a seeker born every minute.
- Dr. "Happy" Harry Cox

"Sahil Malik [MVP]" <co************ *****@nospam.co m> wrote in message
news:OM******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP10.phx.gbl...

Thanks Kevin, okay so your vote is for public static variablename rather
than get/set accessors?


"Kevin Spencer" <ke***@DIESPAMM ERSDIEtakempis. com> wrote in message
news:uH******** ******@tk2msftn gp13.phx.gbl...

The global.asax file is a class definition. Static fields and properties
(*not* "variables" ) may be declared as members of any class, and may be
referenced by any other member of any other class in any assembly in any
application, as long as they are declared to be public, and as long as
the assembly containing the class which contains the static members is
referenced by any assembly having classes with members that may need to
access those fields.

Therefore, it matters not what class defintion you declare your static
members in, as long as that class is part of the application, and is
referenced by any other assemblies that may need access to it.

As to whether the field should or should not be accessed from outside the
class only by a property get accessor, there are a few considerations to
keep in mind:

1. Is there any additional processing necessary
to be performed when the field is accessed?
2. Is there, in fact, an existing field to be accessed?
Some properties return calculated data, not member data.
3. Are there any other factors which might justify the indirection
involved in accessing the data through a get accessor?
a. Programming Conventions: In some teams, this is a convention,
for various reasons, such as (b) below.
b. Extensibility. It is easier to extend a property than a field,
if necessary. It does not break the API to change the return
value.

There may be factors which I didn't think of, but these cover the major
ones.

"Sahil Malik [MVP]" <co************ *****@nospam.co m> wrote in message
news:eT******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP12.phx.gbl...

So here's a rather simple question.

Say in an ASP.NET application, I wish to share common constants as
static variables in global.asax (I know there's web.config bla bla ..
but lets just say I wanna use global.asax) ---

Would you declare your static var as ---

public static int x ;

or would you wrap it up in an accessor property as ---

private static int x ;
public static int X
{
get { return x ; }
}

... and why?

- Sahil Malik [MVP]
ADO.NET 2.0 book -
http://codebetter.com/blogs/sahil.ma.../13/63199.aspx
----------------------------------------------------------------------------