#### 39.5.2 Deciding what to include in a general configuration template

A configuration template should include settings and values that you normally use in most or all projects for a given type of output. The settings in the template file apply to any configuration file that references that template, reducing the need to add the same settings to every project configuration file.

DITA2Go supplies an extensive collection of templates already chained together. You can insert other templates in this chain, between your starting project configuration file and the the first DITA2Go-supplied file in the chain. However, you might prefer to add settings to the appropriate editable configuration file supplied in the existing chain; see §39.4 Deciding which configuration file to edit.

Project overrides template

If a setting has a value in a template file that is different from its value in the project configuration file, the value in the project configuration file takes precedence, allowing you to override the template when necessary; see §42.1.2 Understanding precedence of configuration settings.

Define macros elsewhere

Do not include macro definitions in a general configuration template; keep macro definitions in a separate library file; see §37.2.4 Including macro definitions in your own macro library and §39.1.4 Understanding how macro libraries are organized.

Define output formats elsewhere

Do not include output format definitions in a general configuration template; those must be added to a template specifically for formats, and referenced via one of the following settings:

[Templates]
Formats = path/to/myformats.ini
Tables = path/to/mytables.ini
; For RTF output only:
Pages = path/to/mypages.ini

See §7.2 Working with format configuration files and §39.1.5 Understanding how format templates are organized.

Some settings are duplicated

Although the settings in Table 39-2 can be included in a configuration template, some will end up in the project configuration file anyway; either because DITA2Go originates them, or because their values can be changed at run time. If you remove one of these settings from the project configuration file, DITA2Go will put it back in, at the end of the section where it belongs. If the section itself is missing, DITA2Go places the section and the setting near the end of the project configuration file.

Previous Topic: 39.5.1 Creating a template from a project configuration file

Next Topic: 39.5.3 Chaining configuration templates

Parent Topic: 39.5 Creating your own configuration templates

Sibling Topics:

39.5.1 Creating a template from a project configuration file

39.5.3 Chaining configuration templates

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