We've created static Typed DataSets to handle this type of "codes" data. Also, since the data itself stays fairly constant and we have several large DataSets with many tables, we "cache" the DataSets to XML on the workstation at application startup ... and it is only gotten again from the server if the date of the XML on the workstation is earlier than the last date that the "codes" data was updated on the server.

Hope that gives you a few ideas.

~~Bonnie

>Hello UT,
>
>we are reviewing our "reference tables" strategy to incorporate new features and I was wondering if there are any documentation/examples of existing strategies. We would like to compare what we have with other techniques.
>
>By "Reference Tables", I refer to the values in dropdown lists. Some people call that dictionaries.. pick list values... whatever... (ID - Code - Description)
>Ex.:
>STATUS
>EMPLOYEE_TITLES
>PRODUCT_TYPES
>
>etc etc
>
>The values are most of the time quite static.
>
>
>We've basically built a generic application block to manage those values in database tables and we would like to compare what we have with existing strategies.
>
>Anybody got articles, hints or websites referring to this? I thought Microsoft would have this kind of application blocks but it doesn't seem it's the case.
>
>Thanks a lot in advance,
> Alex