How Analytics preferences files work

The settings for the configurable options in Analytics – that is, the Options dialog box settings – are stored in a preferences file (.prf file) called aclwin16.prf (non-Unicode edition) or acl16.prf (Unicode edition).

Any changes you make in the Options dialog box are automatically saved to the .prf file. The changes remain in effect unless you specifically change them again.

Global versus project-specific preferences files

A single, global .prf file can govern the behavior of Analytics and all Analytics projects that you open, or you can associate different .prf files with individual Analytics projects as a way of customizing preferences on a project-by-project basis. For example, you can specify that different projects use different date display formats, or that one project deletes the source data file when you delete a table layout, and another project does not.

Importance to Analytics script writers

Understanding preferences files can be important for Analytics script writers if they provide their scripts to other Analytics users and need to control Analytics preferences settings on the other users’ computers.

Global preferences file

When you install Analytics, a .prf file with the default configuration settings (Factory settings) is created in the following location:

• The application data folder – C:\Users\< user account name >\AppData\Local\ACL (Windows 10 location)

The .prf file in the application data folder contains the global preference settings for Analytics. Any changes you make in the Options dialog box are saved to this global .prf file, unless you are using a project-specific .prf file.

The global .prf file is used when:

• you open Analytics without opening an Analytics project
• you open a project that does not have a project-specific .prf file
• you close a project without closing Analytics.

Per-user global preference settings

If more than one user account accesses Analytics on the same computer, separate .prf files exist in the application data folders for each user account, and different users can have their own global preference settings.

Automatic regeneration of global .prf file

If the global .prf file in the application data folder is deleted, renamed, or cannot be used for some other reason, a new .prf file with the default configuration settings is automatically created in the application data folder when you open Analytics.

Project-specific preferences files

If you want to customize the preference settings for one or more Analytics projects, you can manually copy the global .prf file from the application data folder to the folder containing the individual Analytics project. The copied .prf file now becomes a project-specific .prf file.

The Analytics project file with the .acl extension and the project-specific .prf file must be in the same folder for the association between the two to take effect. When the project is open, the preference settings specified in the project-specific .prf file are used. Any changes you make in the Options dialog box are saved to the project-specific .prf file rather than the global .prf file.

The benefit of project-specific .prf files

The benefit of project-specific .prf files is that you can customize preferences based on the requirements of specific projects and the scripts within a project.

If you send an Analytics project to another user, you can also send the project-specific .prf file to ensure that when the user runs any scripts within the project the results are consistent with the results on your own computer.

At the same time, because the .prf file is project-specific, it does not affect the other user’s global preference settings.

Reverting to the global .prf file

At any time, you can revert to using the global .prf file for a project by deleting or renaming the project-specific .prf.

Identifying which preferences file is being used

Analytics displays the path for the currently active .prf file at the bottom of the Options dialog box. If the path to the application data folder is being displayed, the global .prf file is being used. If a path to an Analytics project folder is being displayed, a project-specific .prf file is being used.

Reverting to the default configuration settings

You can revert to the default configuration settings (Factory settings) at any time by clicking the Factory button at the bottom of the Options dialog box. Clicking Factory sets all options on all Options tabs to their default settings, not just the options on the active tab. The reversion to the default settings applies only to the currently active .prf file shown at the bottom of the Options dialog box.

Preferences file order of precedence

An Analytics project is open

When you open an Analytics project, a .prf file is loaded using the following order of precedence:

1. Project-specific .prf file in the folder containing the Analytics project
2. If no project-specific .prf file is found, load the global .prf file in the application data folder
3. If no global .prf file is found, automatically recreate the global .prf file in the application data folder using the default configuration settings (Factory settings) and load the recreated file

No Analytics project is open

When you open Analytics without opening a project, a .prf file is loaded using the following order of precedence:

1. Global .prf file in the application data folder
2. If no global .prf file is found, automatically recreate the global .prf file in the application data folder using the default configuration settings (Factory settings) and load the recreated file

Creating preference settings for the duration of an Analytics session

You can use the SET command to create temporary preference settings that remain in effect for the duration of an Analytics session only. For example, SET DATE "DD MMM YYYY" temporarily changes the date display format.

This behavior applies whether you use the SET command in the Analytics command line or in an Analytics script.

As soon as you close Analytics, the settings revert to whatever is stored in the applicable .prf file. The SET command never makes any change to a .prf file.

For more information, see SET command.