How to save App Data to reload it when app starts next time? WP8.1

Question

Let's say there's a Textbox in my app and I'm getting the username from the Textbox. I'm saving the username to a string. But when I relaunch the app, the string will be null. How can I save user data so that I will get it next time my app starts?

I know File reading & writing methods but I'm looking for a way that will not involve file reading & writing.

Answer 1

I'd use project settings (Settings Page, Project Designer). Once a setting is created you can set from the GUI like this:

Properties.Settings.Default.FirstUserSetting = "abc";

When you close the main form (there is an event for this) you can persist all settings like this:

Properties.Settings.Default.Save();

Ultimately a file in the user's profile is used to store the data, but you don't have to deal with it directly.

If you need to save a list of, for example strings, you can do this:

private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    string[] someList = Properties.Settings.Default.myList.Split('|');
    listBox1.Items.AddRange(someList);
}

private void Form1_FormClosing(object sender, FormClosingEventArgs e)
{
    string[] someList = new string[listBox1.Items.Count];
    for (int i = 0; i < listBox1.Items.Count; i++)
    {
        someList[i] = (string)listBox1.Items[i];
    }
    Properties.Settings.Default.myList = string.Join("|", someList);
    Properties.Settings.Default.Save();
}