Configuration File
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A Configuration File is a data file that specifies operational parameters and system settings for computer programs through declarative syntax with structured formats.
- AKA: Config File, Settings File, Preference File, Properties File, configuration file, config file, Setup File, Initialization File.
- Context:
- It can typically define Parameter Values through key-value pairs with data types.
- It can typically specify System Behaviors via configuration directives with execution rules.
- It can typically establish Initial Settings for program startup with default values.
- It can typically configure Runtime Options through preference specifications with user customizations.
- It can typically control Feature Activations via flag settings with conditional logic.
- It can typically manage Resource Allocations through limit specifications with quota definitions.
- It can typically coordinate Service Integrations via endpoint configurations with connection parameters.
- It can typically organize Module Configurations through section structures with namespace separation.
- It can often include Environment Variables via variable substitutions with dynamic values.
- It can often specify File Paths through directory references with relative locations.
- It can often define Access Permissions via security settings with authorization rules.
- It can often establish Logging Levels through verbosity settings with output formats.
- It can often configure Network Settings via connection parameters with protocol specifications.
- It can often manage Cache Configurations through storage parameters with expiration policies.
- It can often support Configuration Overrides via inheritance mechanisms with precedence rules.
- It can range from being a Simple Configuration File to being a Complex Configuration File, depending on its parameter count.
- It can range from being a Human-Readable Configuration File to being a Binary Configuration File, depending on its format type.
- It can range from being a Static Configuration File to being a Dynamic Configuration File, depending on its reload capability.
- It can range from being a Local Configuration File to being a Distributed Configuration File, depending on its storage location.
- It can range from being a Application Configuration File to being a System Configuration File, depending on its scope level.
- It can integrate with Software System-Supporting Systems for configuration management.
- It can interface with Container Orchestration Tools for deployment configuration.
- It can connect to Version Control Systems for configuration tracking.
- It can support Configuration Management Systems for centralized control.
- ...
- Examples:
- Format-Based Configuration Files, such as:
- YAML Configuration File using YAML syntax.
- JSON Configuration File using JavaScript Object Notation.
- XML Configuration File using Extensible Markup Language.
- INI Configuration File using initialization format.
- TOML Configuration File using Tom's Obvious Minimal Language.
- HCL Configuration File using HashiCorp Configuration Language.
- Properties Configuration File using Java properties format.
- System-Specific Configuration Files, such as:
- Application-Specific Configuration Files, such as:
- AI-System Configuration Files, such as:
- Development-Tool Configuration Files, such as:
- Cloud-Service Configuration Files, such as:
- Security Configuration Files, such as:
- ...
- Format-Based Configuration Files, such as:
- Counter-Examples:
- Source Code File, which contains executable instructions rather than configuration parameters.
- Data File, which stores application data rather than system settings.
- Log File, which records runtime events rather than configuration directives.
- Binary Executable, which contains compiled code rather than configuration text.
- Documentation File, which provides user instructions rather than system parameters.
- Software Code Comment, which explains code logic rather than configures system behavior.
- See: Data File, Digital File, Software Artifact, Domain-Specific Programming Language (DSL), System Configuration Setting, Configuration Management, Infrastructure as Code, Initialization (Programming), Parameter (Computer Programming), Booting, System Administrator, YaST, Software Source Code Item, AI Artifact Version Control Framework, Digital Artifact Version Control System (VCS) Framework, MCP Server Runtime Configuration Framework, Terminal-Native Architecture, Configuration Persistence Task.
References
2022
- (Wikipedia, 2022) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Configuration_file Retrieved:2022-12-16.
- In computing, configuration files (commonly known simply as config files) are files used to configure the parameters and initial settings for some computer programs. They are used for user applications, server processes and operating system settings.
Some applications provide tools to create, modify, and verify the syntax of their configuration files; these sometimes have graphical interfaces. For other programs, system administrators may be expected to create and modify files by hand using a text editor, which is possible because many are human-editable plain text files. For server processes and operating-system settings, there is often no standard tool, but operating systems may provide their own graphical interfaces such as YaST or debconf.
Some computer programs only read their configuration files at startup. Others periodically check the configuration files for changes. Users can instruct some programs to re-read the configuration files and apply the changes to the current process, or indeed to read arbitrary files as a configuration file. There are no definitive standards or strong conventions.
- In computing, configuration files (commonly known simply as config files) are files used to configure the parameters and initial settings for some computer programs. They are used for user applications, server processes and operating system settings.