To view or edit any of the configuration files, use a plain text editor. Do not use a formatting editor such as Microsoft Word because it will corrupt the configuration file with its own formatting codes. Instead, use something like Notepad (Windows) or vi (UNIX).
A configuration file consists of several sections, each comprising a number of settings. Some sections contain general settings, and some relate to specific address layouts. The sections within a configuration file have their titles in square brackets:
[section name]
Within ini files, section names define the beginning of each section. Section names must be enclosed within square brackets and be left-justified. A section ends when a new section name is declared. The final section is terminated by the end of the file.
The following section should be included in all configuration files:
[QADefault]
QADefault contains general data and search settings which apply to all datasets.
Each section is a set of instruction in the form of keyword assignments, like this:
keyword=value
A keyword is the name of a setting. It can consist of any combination of letters and digits in uppercase or lowercase, and it must be followed immediately by an equals sign (=), which introduces the value assigned to the keyword. The value can be an integer, a string, or a quoted string, depending on the type of setting. There should be no space between the = and value.
Do not alter
Some of the settings include an optional dataset prefix e.g. USA. By adding a dataset specific prefix you can override the global setting for that dataset, this can aid performance and improve the user experience.
The keyword assignments can come in any order. A typical keyword assignment is:
USAAddressLineCount=4
This tells Pro API to create an output address consisting of four lines for the USA dataset.
Not all entries have to be keyword assignment. You can add comments by prefixing the comment with a semi-colon (;). The ; character must be the first character on the line that is being commented. You can also add a replacement for any commented-out setting. For example:
;EngineTimeout=0
EngineTimeout=10
allows you to switch between settings by swapping the one which is commented out as required.