| Home | Previous Lesson: OLE Automation - PowerBuilder Implementation Next Lesson: Need For Registry |
The registry is a system-defined database that applications and Windows system components use to store configuration data. In the past, Windows 3.1 applications stored their configuration data in WIN.INI or some other application-defined .INI file. The system stored its configuration information in SYSTEM.INI. This information was stored in ASCII files that a user could edit and view in any simple text editor, such as Notepad. In the system registry, the data is stored in binary files, so applications can no longer rely on text editors for updating the information contained in the registry. Instead, applications may either use the registry functions supplied by the system or create registration files (.REG) that contain information to be stored in the registry. These .REG files are ASCII files that can be created with any text editor. The Registry Editor (REGEDT32) can read in these files and store the information in the appropriate places in the registry.
| Home | Previous Lesson: OLE Automation - PowerBuilder Implementation Next Lesson: Need For Registry |