The Config

You may have noticed that many specifics in previous tutorials have been chosen for us (e.g. the magnitudes which were used in image overlays or the search radius of any of our queries). Because we have not explicitly provided these, they have been taken from the config. Upon first using ATK, a config file is generated with default values. This config contains a list of keys which set the defaults used throughout the package.

To have a look at the current state of the config (which is also the default state assuming you haven’t edited it), we can print it to stdout via the ATKconfig command in the command line:

ATKconfig show

Current ATKConfig.ini values:

[global_settings]
enable_notifications = True
unit_size = 500
output_backend = canvas
show_toolbars = True
show_grids = True
show_titles = True
font_size = 14
font = Helvetica

[query_settings]
query_data_radius = 3
query_bulkdata_radius = 3
query_lightcurve_radius = 3
query_spectrum_radius = 3
query_sed_radius = 3
query_reddening_radius = 3
query_image_size = 30
query_image_overlays = gaia
query_image_band = g
query_lightcurve_atlas_username = None
query_lightcurve_atlas_password = None

[image_overlay_settings]
gaia_overlay_mag = phot_g_mean_mag
galex_overlay_mag = NUVmag
wise_overlay_mag = W1mag
sdss_overlay_mag = gPmag
twomass_overlay_mag = Jmag
skymapper_overlay_mag = gPSF
panstarrs_overlay_mag = gmag
overlay_piggyback_radius = 5
overlay_simbad_search_radius = 3

[search_settings]
search_radius = 3

[datapage_settings]
datapage_search_button_radius = 3
datapage_datatable_radius = 3
datapage_font_size = 12
datapage_grid_size = 250

A full description of each of these can be found here, but hopefully some of them are self-explanatory.

Config keys can be edited from the command line via the edit mode of the ATKconfig command:

ATKconfig edit query_data_radius 5

Written change to ATKConfig.ini. New Values:

[global_settings]
enable_notifications = True
unit_size = 500
output_backend = canvas
show_toolbars = True
show_grids = True
show_titles = True
font_size = 14
font = Helvetica

[query_settings]
query_data_radius = 5
...

Or the config can be viewed and edited at the same time by opening it in the default text editor:

ATKconfig open

The config can be reset to its default state at any time via the reset mode of the ATKconfig command:

ATKconfig reset

Resetting ATKConfig.ini to default values...