The Preferences... command (in menu File) contains dozens of panels for controling preferences. You can also see the preferences dialog by using the preferences icon from the tool bar. |

The left side of the Preferences dialog is a tree-structured list of all of the different preference panels. The right side is the actual preference panel, which changes according to the panel requested. Below the list of panels is a "Help" button which takes you to the proper manual page which explains that panel.

Preferences are stored permanently on your computer and are remembered each time you run Electric. The actual location of this information varies with each operating system.

- Windows: In the registry. Look in: HKEY_CURRENT_USER / Software / JavaSoft / Prefs / com / sun / electric.
- UNIX/Linux: In your home directory. Look in: ~/.java/.userPrefs/com/sun/electric
- Macintosh: In your home directory, under Library/Preferences. Look at: ~/Library/Preferences/com.sun.electric.plist

You can delete the appropriate data to reset Electric to its "factory" state.

You can also export your preferences with the Preferences... command (in menu File / Export) which will write an XML file with preference information. This XML file can be read back into Electric's preferences with the Preferences... command (in menu File / Import).

There are two types of preferences: appearance and meaning. Appearance preferences affect only the way Electric appears when run, and do not affect the actual circuitry. Meaning preferences affect the interpretation of the data, and therefore their settings are critical to your design.

Electric stores meaning preferences in every library file so that, when read back in, the preferences can be reconciled with current settings. When a library is read that has different meaning preferences, this dialog appears:

You must choose whether you want to use the preference value from the library (recommended) or the current setting. This can be done on an individual-preference basis, or for all preferences that conflict.