If you are working in an IDE such as eclipse, try importing the DDL xsd schema into your eclipse XML catalog so that you you can get usage tips on configuration elements directly in the IDE by pressing ctrl-space.

The x-ddl.xsd schema is published online with each release and also included at the root of talon jars.

Many of the configuration options listed here need not be specified by most applications, and in most cases values listed as 'Optional' below should be omitted from an application's configuration as the platform will apply reasonable defaults. A good strategy is to start with a minimal configuration and only add additional configuration options as needed.