The WintextCom Personal Information Manager(tm) settings file, "wtc.wtc" by default, is a plain text file containing lines of setup directives. The rules for passing configuration strings to WTC given in this section, except where otherwise noted, apply to command line and registry configuration as well as to settings files.

A line may contain just one setup directive, or multiple directives separated by at least one space or tab. If a directive specifies a string of characters and ends with a closing quote, there does not have to be white space before the next directive, though it is usual to include it and doing so is the safest general procedure.

One or more directives on a line form a configuration string, which is passed to WintextCom Personal Information Manager(tm) for processing and read from left to right. If the same setup directive occurs more than once in a configuration string, or in a series of configuration strings, each successive setting supersedes the previous, so that the last occurrence is the one that takes effect; it is this strategy that makes it possible to override settings file configuration on the command line.

Settings file lines are processed from the beginning of the file downwards, and as a general rule, especially if a directive specifies a string, one directive per line is neater and less error prone.

Additionally, the following special considerations apply in settings files:

White space at the beginning of lines is ignored.
If the first nonwhite character on a line is a semicolon (";"), the line is a comment line and is not passed for configuration processing. Only applies to settings files.
If the first nonwhite character on a line is an opening square bracket ("["), the line itself and all subsequent lines are not processed. This feature enables you to terminate processing of the settings file after all required non-default settings have been instated. Only applies to settings files, square brackets are used differently on the command line and in the registry.
String settings including spaces should be surrounded by double quotes ('"').
Many string settings require a "status byte" at the beginning, which determines the usage of the ensuing information. In general, if such a string needs to be placed in quotes, the status byte precedes the opening quote, immediately after the setup directive, but this is not a universal rule and the reference material on individual settings should be checked.
Only double quotes can be used to enclose a string setting. Single quotes ("'") may be used literally within double quotes as part of the setting.

Page url: http://wtcmanual.wintextware.com/index.html?m_settings_file_format.htm

Settings File Format