Hardcoding taxonomy terms sensibly in D7 module code.

site.install

<?php

/**
 * @file
 * Install, update and uninstall functions for the site feature.
 */

/**
 * Implements hook_enable().
 *
 * Adds Site status and platform taxonomies and some initial values.
 */
function site_enable() {
  // Create document type taxonomy if it doesn't exist.
  $existing_taxonomies = taxonomy_vocabulary_get_names();

  if (!array_key_exists('platform', $existing_taxonomies)) {
    taxonomy_vocabulary_save((object) array(
      'name' => 'Platform',
      'machine_name' => 'platform',
      'description' => 'Site\'s Content Management System or development framework.',
    ));
  }

  if (!array_key_exists('status', $existing_taxonomies)) {
    taxonomy_vocabulary_save((object) array(
      'name' => 'Status',
      'machine_name' => 'status',
      'description' => 'Current status of website.',
    ));
  }

  // Create some taxonomy items if they don't exist.
  $vocabs = taxonomy_vocabulary_get_names();

  $vid = $vocabs['platform']->vid;

  $terms = array(
    'Drupal',
    'eZPublish',
    'Elgg',
  );

  foreach ($terms as $term) {
    $existing_term = taxonomy_get_term_by_name($term, 'platform');
    if (empty($existing_term)) {
      taxonomy_term_save((object) array('name' => $term, 'vid' => $vid));
    }
  }

  $vid = $vocabs['status']->vid;

  $terms = array(
    'Live',
    'In Development',
    'Archived',
  );

  foreach ($terms as $term) {
    $existing_term = taxonomy_get_term_by_name($term, 'status');
    if (empty($existing_term)) {
      taxonomy_term_save((object) array('name' => $term, 'vid' => $vid));
    }
  }
}