Omni Systems, Inc. Mif2Go User's Guide, Version 55

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> 30 Working with templates > 30.1 Working with configuration templates > 30.1.3 Understanding how templates are chained together

### 30.1.3 Understanding how templates are chained together

Configuration templates are chained together in a series, each accessing all the settings in the next, plus all the settings in all other templates farther up the chain. If a given setting appears in more than one template in a chain, the instance of that setting closest to your project configuration file takes precedence over any that are farther away.

Table 30-1 Output-type-specific general configuration files

Output type | Project configuration file | Editable local configuration file
DITA | _m2dita.ini | local_m2dita_config.ini
DocBook | _m2docbook.ini | local_m2docbook_config.ini
Eclipse Help | _m2eclipse.ini | local_m2eclipse_config.ini
HTML | _m2html.ini | local_m2html_config.ini
MS HTML Help | _m2htmlhelp.ini | local_m2htmlhelp_config.ini
JavaHelp | _m2javahelp.ini | local_m2javahelp_config.ini
OmniHelp | _m2omnihelp.ini | local_m2omnihelp_config.ini
Oracle Help | _m2oraclehelp.ini | local_m2oraclehelp_config.ini
WinHelp | _m2winhelp.ini | local_m2winhelp_config.ini
MS Word | _m2rtf.ini | local_m2rtf_config.ini
XHTML | _m2xhtml.ini | local_m2xhtml_config.ini

Each project configuration file references an output-type-specific local configuration file. This editable local configuration file in turn references its system counterpart, which references the next editable local configuration file in the chain, and so forth.

For example, the MS Word starting project configuration file _m2rtf.ini references this chain of general configuration templates and files:

_m2rtf.ini ->

local_m2rtf_config.ini-> m2rtf_config.ini ->

local_m2g_config.ini -> m2g_config.ini ->

local_omsys.ini -> omsys.ini

The HTML starting project configuration file references this chain:

_m2html.ini ->

local_m2htm_config.ini -> m2htm_config.ini ->

local_m2g_config.ini -> m2g_config.ini ->

local_omsys.ini -> omsys.ini

Some chains are longer. For example, for OmniHelp output, the chain looks like this:

_m2omnihelp.ini ->

local_m2omnihelp_config.ini -> m2omnihelp_config.ini ->

local_m2help_config.ini -> m2help_config.ini ->

local_m2htm_config.ini -> m2htm_config.ini ->

local_m2g_config.ini -> m2g_config.ini ->

local_omsys.ini -> omsys.ini

All general configuration chains go through either m2htm_config.ini (for HTML or XML output) or m2rtf_config.ini (for Word or WinHelp output). These two configuration templates reference the macro configuration files and templates, through side chains. Therefore, as long as your project configuration file references one of the output-specific configuration files, you do not have to include settings in your project configuration file to reference those other files.

See also:

§30.1.4 Understanding how macro libraries are organized