# Setting system-wide properties

You can set system-wide properties programmatically (as a command-line option to the JVM when starting the application or within application code) or in the text file derby.properties.

- Changing the system-wide properties programmatically
  You can set properties programmatically -- either in application code before booting the Derby driver or as a command-line option to the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) when booting the application that starts up Derby.
- Changing the system-wide properties by using the derby.properties file
  You can set persistent system-wide properties in a text file called derby.properties, which must be placed in the directory specified by the derby.system.home property.
- Verifying system properties
  You can find out the value of a system property if you set it programmatically. You cannot find out the value of a system property if you set it in the derby.properties file.

Parent topic: Setting Derby properties
Related concepts
Setting database-wide properties
Setting properties in a client/server environment
Making dynamic or static changes to properties