Configuration properties DITA-OT uses .properties files and internal properties that store configuration settings for the toolkit and its plug-ins. Configuration properties are available to both Ant and Java processes, but unlike argument properties, they cannot be set at run time. command line properties properties Ant properties Java properties Ant configuring Java configuring Ant precedence Java precedence local.properties file

When DITA-OT starts the Ant process, it looks for property values in the following order and locations:

  1. Any property passed to Ant from the command line with -Dproperty or --property=
  2. A custom property file passed with --propertyfile
  3. A local.properties file in the root directory of the DITA-OT installation
  4. The lib/org.dita.dost.platform/plugin.properties file
  5. The configuration.properties file

If a given property is set in multiple places, the first value “wins” and subsequent entries for the same property are ignored.

You can use this mechanism to override DITA-OT default settings for your environment by passing parameters to the dita command with --property=, or using entries in .properties files.