Configuration

Three settings can be configured: the edition, the cache directory and the database path. Each is taken from the first of these that sets it:

command-line option > environment variable > YAML profile > default

Setting	Option	Environment variable	Profile field	Default
Edition	`--edition`	`DICOM_KB_EDITION`	`edition`	Newest edition in the cache
Cache	`--cache-dir`	`DICOM_KB_CACHE_DIR`	`artifact_dir`	`~/.cache/dicom-standard-kb`
Database	`--db`	`DICOM_KB_DATABASE_URL`	`database_url`	`<cache>/db/<edition>.sqlite`

The default edition is the newest built database for query commands and mcp serve, and the newest fetched edition for build. When --db points at an existing file, the default edition is the one that file holds.

YAML profile

Pass a profile with the root --config option, before the command:

dicom-kb --config ./dicom-kb.yaml element Modality

dicom_kb:
  edition: 2026d
  artifact_dir: /data/dicom-standard-kb
  database_url: sqlite:////data/dicom-standard-kb/db/2026d.sqlite

All three fields are optional. Unknown fields, a missing dicom_kb mapping and invalid YAML are rejected.

Database URLs

DICOM_KB_DATABASE_URL and database_url take a local sqlite:/// URL. An absolute path has four slashes: sqlite:////data/kb/2026d.sqlite. Other schemes and URLs with a host are rejected. --db takes a plain path.

Cache layout

<cache>/
  artifacts/<edition>/manifest.json
  artifacts/<edition>/raw/source/docbook/partNN/partNN.xml
  db/<edition>.sqlite
  db/<edition>.gaps.txt

The manifest records each part’s source URL, size and SHA-256. Keep several editions side by side by building each one; pass --edition to choose.