Application Settings

Application settings control feature flags for Dawiso applications. They determine which UI features are enabled, how data displays, and what operations users can perform within an application context.

Settings in the Application Definition

The application asset includes a settings array. Each entry is a key-value pair that toggles or configures a specific platform feature.

{
  "key": "my_connector",
  "name": "My Connector",
  "settings": [
    { "key": "excel_export_enabled", "value": true },
    { "key": "read_only_hierarchy", "value": true },
    { "key": "data_lineage_enabled", "value": true },
    { "key": "comments_enabled", "value": true },
    { "key": "audit_log_enabled", "value": true }
  ]
}

Settings not listed in the array use their default values. The platform does not require all settings to be declared — only override the ones that differ from defaults.

Common Settings Reference

UI & Export Features

Key	Default	Purpose
excel_export_enabled	false	Adds an Excel export button on object pages and search results
excel_import_enabled	false	Enables bulk import from Excel/CSV files
word_export_enabled	false	Enables Word document export
pdf_export_enabled	false	Enables PDF export
comments_enabled	true	Enables the comments section on object detail pages
attachments_enabled	true	Enables file attachments on object detail pages
search_enabled	true	Enables search functionality within the application

Data & Governance Features

Key	Default	Purpose
read_only_hierarchy	false	Locks the sidebar tree — users cannot reorganize objects. Use for connector apps where hierarchy is auto-populated from scans.
is_application_data_lineage	false	Enables lineage calculation and tracking pipeline (lineage mapping, asset flow computation)
branching_enabled	false	Enables object versioning with draft branches independent of the published version
audit_log_enabled	false	Tracks all changes in the audit log — who changed what and when
is_data_market_enabled	false	Shows the application in the Data Market catalog for cross-application discovery

Tokenization Features

Key	Default	Purpose
has_token_keywords	false	Enables keyword tokenization for search — breaks values into individual searchable tokens
has_token_texts	false	Enables text/sentence tokenization for full-text search

Application Designation (SingleOnly)

These settings designate a specific role for the application. Only one application per Dawiso instance can have each of these settings — they are mutually exclusive across applications.

Key	Purpose
is_application_code_tables	Designates this as THE code tables repository for the instance
is_application_data_dictionary	Designates this as THE data dictionary application
is_application_dawiso_objects	Designates this as THE internal Dawiso objects application

For the full list of all available settings, see the package schema definition (package-schema-settings.json).

Default Values Matter

Several important features default to disabled. A new application without explicit settings has no Excel export, no lineage diagrams, no audit logging, and no bulk import. Review the defaults table and enable features appropriate for the application’s use case.

Setting Scopes

Settings operate at three distinct scopes. Narrower scopes override broader ones.

Global Scope

Settings defined on the application asset apply to all instances of the application across all spaces. This is the most common configuration — the application behaves the same everywhere it is installed.

Application Instance Scope (Per-Space)

Package-level settings assets allow overriding global settings for a specific space. This enables different behavior for the same application in different organizational contexts.

A settings asset with applicationKey and spacePath:

{
  "key": "connector_settings_production",
  "applicationKey": "my_connector",
  "spacePath": "/production",
  "settings": [
    { "key": "read_only_hierarchy", "value": true },
    { "key": "import_enabled", "value": false }
  ]
}

This override makes the connector hierarchy read-only and disables import in the “/production” space, while other spaces retain the global application settings.

Backend-Only Scope

Some settings control backend behavior without a corresponding UI toggle. These are not visible in the application settings panel and can only be configured through package assets. Backend-only settings typically control internal processing behavior, indexing strategies, or integration parameters.

Setting Evaluation Order

When the platform evaluates a setting for a specific context:

1. Check for a space-specific settings asset matching the current applicationKey and spacePath.
2. If no space-specific override exists, fall back to the setting defined on the application asset.
3. If the application asset does not declare the setting, use the platform default.

This cascade allows fine-grained control without duplicating configuration across every space.

Business Application Settings

Business applications (glossaries, data catalogs, policy registries) typically need these settings enabled:

{
  "key": "business_glossary",
  "name": "Business Glossary",
  "settings": [
    { "key": "excel_export_enabled", "value": true },
    { "key": "comments_enabled", "value": true },
    { "key": "attachments_enabled", "value": true },
    { "key": "branching_enabled", "value": true },
    { "key": "audit_log_enabled", "value": true },
    { "key": "import_enabled", "value": true },
    { "key": "is_data_market_enabled", "value": true }
  ]
}

Business users expect to export data, comment on definitions, attach supporting documents, and track changes. Branching enables a review workflow where draft changes are isolated from the published version.

Connector Application Settings

Connector applications (database scanners, BI tool connectors) have different requirements:

{
  "key": "sql_server_connector",
  "name": "SQL Server Connector",
  "settings": [
    { "key": "read_only_hierarchy", "value": true },
    { "key": "is_application_data_lineage", "value": true },
    { "key": "excel_export_enabled", "value": true },
    { "key": "comments_enabled", "value": true },
    { "key": "audit_log_enabled", "value": true }
  ]
}

The hierarchy is read-only because it reflects a scanned physical structure — users should not rearrange tables between schemas. Lineage is enabled for data flow visualization. Import and tokenization are not enabled — connector data comes from scans, not manual uploads, and scanned metadata is too repetitive for useful tokenization.

Space-Specific Override Example

A data governance team wants different settings for their staging and production spaces:

Global application settings (permissive defaults):

{
  "key": "data_catalog",
  "settings": [
    { "key": "import_enabled", "value": true },
    { "key": "branching_enabled", "value": true },
    { "key": "comments_enabled", "value": true }
  ]
}

Production space override (locked down):

{
  "key": "catalog_prod_settings",
  "applicationKey": "data_catalog",
  "spacePath": "/governance/production",
  "settings": [
    { "key": "import_enabled", "value": false },
    { "key": "read_only_hierarchy", "value": true }
  ]
}

In the production space, bulk import is disabled and the hierarchy is locked. The staging space retains full import and editing capabilities. comments_enabled and branching_enabled are not overridden, so they inherit the global true value.

Settings and Patch Packages

Patch packages can modify application settings without touching the base package. A patch package’s settings asset merges with the base application’s settings at installation time.

Adding Settings via Patch

A patch package that enables lineage for an existing connector:

{
  "key": "connector_lineage_patch_settings",
  "applicationKey": "base_connector",
  "settings": [
    { "key": "data_lineage_enabled", "value": true },
    { "key": "data_quality_enabled", "value": true }
  ]
}

The patch adds these settings to the base connector’s configuration. If the base package already defines these keys, the patch values take precedence.

Removing Settings via Patch

A patch cannot remove a setting from the base package. Setting a value to the platform default effectively disables it, but the key remains in the merged configuration.

Settings Interaction with Other Assets

Several settings interact with other package assets. Enabling a feature via settings is necessary but may not be sufficient — the corresponding assets must also exist.

Setting	Required assets
is_application_data_lineage	Graph metamodel with viewTypeKey: "data_lineage", display levels, relation types
branching_enabled	Workflow with branching states defined
excel_import_enabled	Object types with importable attribute configurations

Enabling is_application_data_lineage without a lineage metamodel shows an empty diagram tab. The tab is visible but contains no content — a confusing experience for users.

Gotchas