Üldsätted

Üldsätted (global or general settings) are the configuration options of a software system that apply across the entire application or platform, rather than to individual users or specific modules. They establish default behavior and shared policies that influence how the system operates for everyone. In practice, üldsätted are usually managed in a central location and loaded at startup, such as a central configuration file, a system registry, or a database.

These settings contrast with local or per-user settings, which can customize behavior for individual accounts or components. Although per-user settings may override global defaults, the global settings provide the baseline behavior for the whole system and are often intended to be consistent across users and deployments. Changes to üldsätted can have wide-reaching effects, so they are typically protected by access controls and change-management processes. Some systems also support dynamic reloads, allowing changes to take effect without restarting the application.

Common examples of üldsätted include language and regional formats, default time zone, security policies, logging level, and default paths or URLs. In web applications, global settings might govern session behavior, authentication requirements, or data retention rules; in desktop software, they may control UI themes, crash reporting, or update policies. In distributed environments, üldsätted help ensure consistent behavior across components and services, while remaining configurable to meet organizational requirements.

See also: per-user settings, local configuration, configuration file, registry, and deployment-wide policies.