# The <properties> Element

The <properties> element is used to specify an external properties file for use in the parsing of the configuration. Any attribute in the configuration will accept a property in the form `${property}`. The specified properties file will be searched for a matching value and the matching value will be substituted. The properties file is of the normal format for a Java properties file.

The <properties> element is a child element of the <generatorConfiguration> element.

## Required Attributes

One, and only one, of the following attributes is required.

Attribute | Description
--- | ---
resource | The qualified name of the property file. When specifying the resource, the classpath will be searched for the properties file. So a file specified as `com/myproject/generatorConfig.properties` must exist in the `com.myproject` package.
url | A URL value to use for the property file. This can be used to specify a property file in a specific place on the file system when used in a form like `file:///C:/myfolder/generatorConfig.properties`.

## Optional Attributes

None

## Child Elements

None