Configuration usually consists of arranging elements and adjusting parameters.
Configuration is the organization of the different elements that constitute something, giving it its shape and characteristics. The term derives from the Latin word configuratio .
The idea of configuration is usually used in the field of computing and electronics . The series of data that establishes the value of certain software variables or that indicates how a device should operate is known as configuration. In all cases there must be a factory configuration, which is called predefined or original , and then the user is given a certain degree of freedom to change it.
In other words, configuration is the series of modifications made by a person, whether the manufacturer or the user, so that a program or device has the characteristics that best suit their tastes and needs. It is important to note that this process depends on certain limits , such as the tools that the person has when carrying it out, the original properties of the product and the access that the developers give to the public to modify them.
Setting up a monitor and digital camera
The settings of a monitor , for example, establish the screen resolution, brightness, contrast, color gamut, volume (if it has speakers), image position and scaling options, among other variables that They depend on its price, the public it is aimed at and the preferences of each company . In this particular case, we can see two possible ways to access the device's configuration: on the one hand, using a button present in its own structure, to modify the properties in a graphic menu; on the other, from the operating system of the device to which it is connected.
In a digital camera, on the other hand, through the configuration it is possible to establish the values of many properties, such as the resolution of the images that are captured, the amount of light in the environment, the typical image settings ( brightness, contrast, saturation, etc.), the inclusion of the date and time in the photos and the use or not of the flash , among others.
The concept applied to software
If we focus on a computer program, the possibilities become endless, since the configuration characteristics depend on the type of program.
For example, in a word processor we have at our disposal an endless number of properties to adjust: size of the sheet, width and height of the margins, type, size and color of the font, behavior of the spelling and grammar checker, auto-save function , creation and updating of one or more backup copies, file format and read or write protection, among many others.
With the rise of smart devices, being in charge of configuring different devices is becoming more and more common.
Appliance configuration
Even though we are in the era of smart devices, we must not forget that all appliances have a configuration, since it is an inevitable part of the design and manufacturing of any appliance.
Many of them also allow the user to make certain adjustments: in a traditional oven we must indicate the power of the fire; refrigerators allow us to select the temperature; AM radios require tuning to the stations and give us the ability to adjust the audio volume.
The notion in chemistry and automotive design
In the field of chemistry , the electronic configuration indicates how the electrons are structured in an atom. According to this configuration, the combining properties of the atoms change and, in turn, the position of the element in the periodic table.
When designing a car, on the other hand, the automotive configuration is taken into account. This concept is linked to the location of the drive wheels and the engine in the vehicle structure. Front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, transverse engine, longitudinal engine, front engine, mid-engine and rear engine are some of the variables of the automotive configuration.