The target file is the existing property file in which you are operating. You can add, delete, modify or list properties in the target file. The mergeprop program automatically creates a backup of the original target file, unless you instruct it not to do so. You can also list existing properties without making any changes.

You can explicitly specify a target file, but it is not necessary to do so if you are operating on one of the standard property files listed in the following table. The file type that you provide as input implies a specific property file, which the program targets by default if no file is specified. These standard property files are located in the OpenEdge-Install-Directory\properties directory.

If explicitly specified, the target file is expressed as an argument to the -target switch or as a parameter to the setTargetFile() or mergeprop() method.