c# - Should i use property or Dictionary object for cashing config data -

i caching applications web.config key-value data singleton object can store config data in class properties or dictionary object. considering performance , flexibility not able decide between using dictionary or class properties.

1. dictionary offers less changes whenever new key added/removed don't have make modifications singleton model logic whereas if use properties need manage additions/removal of respective key.
2. while using dictionary need specify key name in string error prone , difficult manage.

based on above 2 reasons using dictionary storing cached data. please suggest if better solution exists here sample code.

public class configdata {     /// <summary>     /// configuration data     /// </summary>     public static readonly idictionary<string, string> configurationdata = new dictionary<string, string>();      /// <summary>     /// initializes <see cref="configdata" /> class.     /// </summary>     static configdata()     {         try         {             configurationdata = nvcextender.todictionary(configurationmanager.getsection("appsettings") namevaluecollection);         }         catch (exception ex)         {              throw;         }     } } 

configurationmanager.appsettings namevaluecollection , there little value in replacing own dictionary<string,string>.

representing appsettings properties of static or singleton class has number of benefits:

• you can have validation , null checking in 1 place.
• you can make properties strongly-typed
• you can provide default values missing appsettings in 1 place.
• you intellisense when accessing setting.

all design trade-off, whether or not these benefits justify effort of writing , maintaining static/singleton class judgement call. have internal static class in each assembly uses more 1 or 2 appsettings, strongly-typed property each appsetting used assembly.

if this, it's worth adopting naming convention it's clear appsettings belong assemblies, example "myassembly1.mysetting", "myassembly2.myothersetting".