How to add input form (feedback) in DSpace with really long data?

Question

My boss wanted to add a select form in feedback form where the user is required to select his/her country. I can achieve this by:

    Select country = form.addItem().addSelect("country ");
    userType.setLabel("Country");
    userType.addOption("","Please select your country");
    userType.addOption("ABW","Aruba");
    userType.addOption("AFG","Afghanistan");
    <----- Rest of countries from A to Z --->
    userType.setOptionSelected(parameters.getParameter("country",""));
    TextArea countryOther = form.addItem().addTextArea("countryOther");
    countryOther.setValue(parameters.getParameter("countryOther", ""));

I want to avoid cluttering the code with a really long list of countries. Is there an alternative to this like placing the list of countries in a separate place and just pull this information? Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

One simple way is to create a config file: config/modules/countries.cfg and fill in your list like configuration properties:

ABW=Aruba
AFG=Afghanistan
...

Then add them to your Select using the ConfigurationManager

Select country = form.addItem().addSelect("country ");
country.setLabel("Country");
country.addOption("", "Please select your country");

Enumeration<?> countries = ConfigurationManager.propertyNames("countries");
while (countries.hasMoreElements()) {
    String key = (String) countries.nextElement();
    String value = ConfigurationManager.getProperty("countries", key);
    country.addOption(key, value);
}