Structure of Config Files

Configuration files have a simple structure consisting of two parts, the stanza and key/value pairs.

1. A stanza is a section of the config file. It starts with a name (or number) surrounded by square brackets on a line by itself. A config file will have one or more stanza. Each stanza continues until the next stanza or end of file. Stanzas contain one or more ker/value pairs.
2. Key/value pairs set various values such as the ID of the node.

Config file comments are preceded with a semicolon.

In this example of two nodes the stanza is the node number and the key/value pairs set the CW ID and the ID timer:

[1998]
idrecording = |iW1ABC
idtime = 540000          ; 9 minutes

[1999]
idrecording = |iW1XYZ
idtime = 540000 

Settings to name other Stanzas

Some key=value pairs point to other stanzas. This allows nodes on the same server to have the same settings (without duplicate entries) or different settings in some cases. For example the phone patch command may be *6 on one node, yet *61 on another.

For example:

[1000]
functions=functionsVHF

[1001]
functions=functionsVHF   ;same functions as node 1000

[1002]
functions=functionsUHF

[functionsVHF]
; Two meter Autopatch up is *6
6=autopatchup,noct=1,farenddisconnect=1,dialtime=20000 
0=autopatchdn       ; Autopatch down

[functionsUHF]
; 440 Autopatch up is *61
61=autopatchup,noct=1,farenddisconnect=1,dialtime=20000  ; Autopatch up
0=autopatchdn       ; Autopatch down

Note: A stanza is also called a context in Asterisk PBX terminology, particularly related to the dialplan.