ConfigurationFiles

Configuration Files

CollectiveAccess uses a fairly extensive set of configuration files, listed below. Click on a file to see a detailed description of the file and its directives. Information on the syntax of CA configuration files see Configuration_File_Syntax.

General configuration files

app.conf	General application configuration, including pointers to all of the other configuration files described here (except global.conf), is set in this file.
global.conf	Contains definitions for values used in other configuration files - values defined in this file are available for use in all other configuration files located in the same directory. As such all of the most commonly changed configuration values, such as file paths and database login information, are defined in this file and then "inherited" by other files.

Cataloguing configuration

multipart_id_numbering.conf	Defines the formats used by the MultiPartIDNumber ID number processing plug-in to support structured entry and management of accession numbers and the like.
datetime.conf	Configures display parameters for dates and times in your system. Also configures expressions and their equivalent parsable dates for use as shortcuts.

Javascript configuration

javascript.conf

Defines sets of javascript files that can be included as needed.

Printable label configuration

ca_objects_label_layouts.conf	Defines available formats for printable labels.
label_element_styles.conf	Defines formatting styles for label formats. This is a kind of simplified style sheet for labels.

Search configuration

search.conf	Defines settings for the CA search engine
search_indexing.conf	Defines indexing rules for various fields and attributes in the CA database. Only fields marked for indexing in this file are searchable.

Faceted browse configuration

browse.conf

Defines settings for the CA browse engine

Handling of uploaded media and files

file_volumes.conf	Lists the available storage areas ("volumes") for uploaded files. "Files" are non-media uploads that are stored as-is with no parsing, processing or generation of derivatives.
media_display.conf	Defines rules for displaying media.
media_metadata.conf	Defines rules for extracting and embedding media metadata.
media_volumes.conf	Lists the available storage areas ("volumes") for uploaded media. Unlike "files", uploaded media must be in a format supported by the media processing subsystem and undergoes parsing, processing and conversion into derivatives
media_processing.conf	Defines rules for processing and transforming uploaded media.
external_applications.conf	Several components of CollectiveAccess employ external applications to perform tasks such as processing of uploaded media or extraction of embedded content and metadata. The external_applications.conf file defines the locations of these applications on your server.

Internal configuration

These files are used to govern internal functions of CA and, in general, should not be edited unless you know what you're doing.

datamodel.conf	Defines the tables in the CA relational database and the relationships between those tables.
navigation.conf	Defines system navigation structure including menus and side navigation.
find_navigation.conf	Defines navigation back to results for various types of "find" operations.
attribute_types.conf	Lists all implemented attribute data types - the different types of "fields" CA supports.
user_actions.conf	Defines actions users can be allowed (or disallowed) privileges for.
user_pref_defs.conf	Defines available user preferences and their possible values.
default_media_icons.conf	Defines the default icon graphics to use for uploaded media when it is not possible to derive a thumbnail from the media itself (for example, when processing an audio file).
annotation_types.conf

Pawtucket-specific configuration

Please note there is a conf directory within each theme whose files override those in app/conf. You do not need to include the complete set of configuration files and the files in your theme's conf directory do not have to include every variable, they can contain only the setting you would like to override for that theme. This provides a simple way to have theme specific settings.

The following configuration files are specific to the Pawtucket public front-end web-application:

content_caching.conf	Defines how and where Pawtucket output is cached to improve performance.
app.conf	Contains settings to customize the configuration and display of Pawtucket.
global.conf	Contains settings to configure Pawtucket to function within your server environment and to connect with your database and mail server.
advanced_search_forms.conf	Contains settings to configure the form or forms used in Pawtucket's Advanced Search.