Windows Pro API users can use the Configuration Editor to modify most settings relating to Layouts, Datasets and Notifications. For UNIX and advanced Windows configuration, settings need to be configured manually via the configuration file settings.
To configure the Pro API server prior to making it available to clients Windows users can use the Administrator Console. It is also possible to manage clients and administer data and licenses using the Administrator Console.
Alternatively, the Command Line Management Utility is a tool for Windows and UNIX administrators that enables the display of query results on the command line that can otherwise only be displayed in the Administrator Console.
Client/Server mode
When setting up Pro API for the first time, it is recommended that you follow the steps listed below:
The first step involves checking settings in qawserve.ini. The second requires you to specify keyword values in qawserve.ini, and the third step involves specifying keywords in qaworld.ini.
The 'Default' documented for each setting refers to the product default. If a setting is not defined in the qawserve.ini file, it will assume this default. Some settings have been configured in the .ini file; these configurations will override the product default.
To return the product to its shipping state, any changes that you have made to the qawserve.ini file need to be discarded, and the file returned to its original condition. Therefore, before you make any changes to this file, you should make a copy of it so it can be recovered in the event that you need to return the product to its shipping state. Alternatively, you can reinstall the product, which will have the same effect.
Qawserve.ini is known as the 'server-side' configuration file. It contains lists of all the installed datasets and includes the layouts for each available dataset. The settings in this file include:
Update qawserve.ini file
Acserver.ini is an additional server-side configuration file. It is used to specify the address layouts and license keys for your Partner Sourced datasets.
The settings in this file include:
Qaworld.ini is the client ini file, and is used to set the server address for the C interface API, the Administrator Console, the Configuration Editor and the Command Line Management Utility.
Optional dataset prefix
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
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.