allegro Database Configuration 
 
 What is it? 
 	Every database needs a "configuration file". It contains a list of elements, or categories, which may occur in a database record. This list is also called a format.
 	Every element has a unique number, mostly called a tag. There is no universal configuration that would support all databases, but allegro can accommodate many different databases using very different formats. The standard format (also called "Consolidated Format") is described in the config file $A.CFG, used by a majority of allegro users. This file specifies, for example, that #20 is the tag for the element called "Title". 
In the MARC format, represented by the $U.CFG config file, the title field has the tag #245.

In the listbox to the left, you now see the config listing of the current database.

What can I do with it?
	You can use the config listing to look up the tags of specific elements, or to find out what particular tags mean. However, the config listing is also a data entry aid:
Select an element (a tag), then [Enter] (or double-click), after which you can enter text for the selected element in the write field.
1999-10-08