---
metadata:
  - name: generator
    content: Diplodoc Platform v5.52.0
alternate:
  - https://catboost.ai/docs/en/references/training-parameters/input.md
  - href: en/references/training-parameters/input.md
    type: text/markdown
    title: Markdown version
  - href: ../../llms.txt
    type: text/markdown
    title: llms.txt
---
> **Documentation Index:** Fetch the complete configuration index at https://catboost.ai/docs/en/llms.txt

# Input settings

These parameters are only for Command-line.

## -f, --learn-set {#-f}

#### Description

The path to the input file that contains the dataset.

<!-- source: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-formats/files-internal__desc__full.md -->
Format:
```
[scheme://]<path>
```

- `scheme` (optional) defines the type of the input dataset. Possible values:

    - `quantized://` — catboost.Pool [quantized](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/python-reference_pool_quantized.md) pool.
    - `libsvm://` — dataset in the [extended libsvm format](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/input-data_libsvm.md).

    If omitted, a dataset in the [Native CatBoost Delimiter-separated values format](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/input-data_values-file.md) is expected.

- `path` defines the path to the dataset file.
<!-- endsource: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-formats/files-internal__desc__full.md -->

**Default value**

Required parameter (the path must be specified).

**Supported processing units**

CPU and GPU

## -t, --test-set {#-t}

#### Description

A comma-separated list of input files that contain the validation dataset (the format must be the same as used in the training dataset).


**Default value**

Omitted. If this parameter is omitted, the validation dataset isn't used.

**Supported processing units**

CPU and GPU

{% note alert %}

Only a single validation dataset can be input if the training is performed on GPU (`--task-type` is set to GPU)

{% endnote %}

## --cd, --column-description {#--cd}

#### Description

The path to the input file  that contains the [columns description](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/input-data_column-descfile.md).


**Default value:**

If omitted, it is assumed that the first column in the file with the dataset defines the label value, and the other columns are the values of numerical features.

**Supported processing units**

CPU and GPU

## --learn-pairs {#--learn-pairs}

#### Description

The path to the input file that contains the [pairs description](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/input-data_pairs-description.md) for the training dataset.

This information is used for calculation and optimization of [Ranking: objectives and metrics](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/loss-functions-ranking.md).

**Default value**

Omitted.

<!-- source: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-common-phrases/pairwisemetrics_require_pairs_data.md -->
[Pairwise metrics](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/loss-functions-ranking.md) require pairs data. If this data is not provided explicitly by specifying this parameter, pairs are generated automatically in each group using object label values.
<!-- endsource: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-common-phrases/pairwisemetrics_require_pairs_data.md -->

**Supported processing units**

CPU and GPU

## --test-pairs {#--test-pairs}

#### Description

The path to the input file that contains the [pairs description](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/input-data_pairs-description.md) for the validation dataset.

<!-- source: en/_includes/work_src/reusage/learn_pairs__where_is_used.md -->
This information is used for calculation and optimization of [Pairwise metrics](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/loss-functions-ranking.md).
<!-- endsource: en/_includes/work_src/reusage/learn_pairs__where_is_used.md -->

**Default value**

Omitted.

<!-- source: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-common-phrases/pairwisemetrics_require_pairs_data.md -->
[Pairwise metrics](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/loss-functions-ranking.md) require pairs data. If this data is not provided explicitly by specifying this parameter, pairs are generated automatically in each group using object label values.
<!-- endsource: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-common-phrases/pairwisemetrics_require_pairs_data.md -->

**Supported processing units**

CPU and GPU

## --learn-group-weights {#--learn-group-weights}

#### Description

The path to the input file that contains the weights of groups. Refer to the [Group weights](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/input-data_group-weights.md) section for format details.

<!-- source: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-input-data/group_weights__input-dataset-requirement.md -->
The [dataset](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/input-data_values-file.md) must contain the GroupId column in order to apply the file with the group weights.
<!-- endsource: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-input-data/group_weights__input-dataset-requirement.md -->

<!-- source: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-input-data/group_weights__precedence-over-datasetdesc.md -->
The weights from this file take precedence if they are also specified in the [Dataset in delimiter-separated values format](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/input-data_values-file.md) file.
<!-- endsource: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-input-data/group_weights__precedence-over-datasetdesc.md -->

**Default value:**

Omitted (group weights are either read from the dataset file or set to 1 for all groups if absent in the input dataset)

**Supported processing units**

CPU and GPU

## --test-group-weights {#--test-group-weights}

#### Description

The path to the input file that contains the weights of groups for the validation dataset. Refer to the [Group weights](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/input-data_group-weights.md) section for format details.

<!-- source: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-input-data/group_weights__input-dataset-requirement.md -->
The [dataset](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/input-data_values-file.md) must contain the GroupId column in order to apply the file with the group weights.
<!-- endsource: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-input-data/group_weights__input-dataset-requirement.md -->

<!-- source: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-input-data/group_weights__precedence-over-datasetdesc.md -->
The weights from this file take precedence if they are also specified in the [Dataset in delimiter-separated values format](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/input-data_values-file.md) file.
<!-- endsource: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-input-data/group_weights__precedence-over-datasetdesc.md -->

**Default value:**

Omitted (group weights are either read from the dataset file or set to 1 for all groups if absent in the input dataset)

**Supported processing units**

CPU and GPU

## --force-unit-auto-pair-weights {#--force-unit-auto-pair-weights}

#### Description

For each auto-generated pair in pairwise losses, set the pair weight equal to one.

**Default value:**

Omitted (for each auto-generated pair, the weight is set equal to the weight of the group containing the elements of the pair)

**Supported processing units**

CPU and GPU

## --learn-baseline {#--learn-baseline}

#### Description

The path to the input file that contains baseline values for the training dataset. Refer to the [Baseline ](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/input-data_baseline.md) section for format details.

**Default value**

Omitted

**Supported processing units**

CPU and GPU

## --test-baseline {#--test-baseline}

#### Description

The path to the input file that contains baseline values for the validation dataset. Refer to the [Baseline ](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/input-data_baseline.md) section for format details.

**Default value**

Omitted

**Supported processing units**

CPU and GPU

## --learn-graph

#### Description

The path to the input file that contains the [graph information](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/input-data_graph-description.md) for the training dataset.

<!-- source: en/_includes/work_src/reusage/graph__where_is_used.md -->
Graph information is used to calculate the [graph aggregated features](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/features/graph-aggregated-features.md).
<!-- endsource: en/_includes/work_src/reusage/graph__where_is_used.md -->

**Default value**

Omitted.

**Supported processing units**

CPU and GPU

## --test-graph

#### Description

The path to the input file that contains the [graph information](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/input-data_graph-description.md) for the validation dataset.

<!-- source: en/_includes/work_src/reusage/graph__where_is_used.md -->
Graph information is used to calculate the [graph aggregated features](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/features/graph-aggregated-features.md).
<!-- endsource: en/_includes/work_src/reusage/graph__where_is_used.md -->

**Default value**

Omitted.

**Supported processing units**

CPU and GPU

## --delimiter {#--delimiter}

#### Description

The delimiter character used to separate the data in the dataset input file.

Only single char delimiters are supported. If the specified value contains more than one character, only the first one is used.

<!-- source: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-formats/note-restriction-delimiter-separated-format.md -->
{% note info %}

Used only if the dataset is given in the [Delimiter-separated values format](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/input-data_values-file.md).

{% endnote %}
<!-- endsource: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-formats/note-restriction-delimiter-separated-format.md -->

**Default value**

The input data is assumed to be tab-separated

**Supported processing units**

CPU and GPU

## --has-header {#--has-header}

#### Description

Read the column names from the first line of the dataset file if this parameter is set.

<!-- source: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-formats/note-restriction-delimiter-separated-format.md -->
{% note info %}

Used only if the dataset is given in the [Delimiter-separated values format](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/input-data_values-file.md).

{% endnote %}
<!-- endsource: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-formats/note-restriction-delimiter-separated-format.md -->

**Default value:**

False (the first line is supposed to have the same data as the rest of them)

**Supported processing units**

CPU and GPU


## --params-file {#--params-files}

#### Description

The path to the input JSON file that contains the training parameters, for example:

```
{
"learning_rate": 0.1,
"bootstrap_type": "No"
}
```

Names of training parameters are the same as for the [Python package](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/references/training-parameters/index.md) or the [R package](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/r-reference_catboost-train.md#parameters-list).

If a parameter is specified in both the JSON file and the corresponding command-line parameter, the command-line value is used.

**Default value**

Omitted

**Supported processing units**

CPU and GPU


## --nan-mode {#--nan-mode}

#### Description

The method for [processing missing values](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/algorithm-missing-values-processing.md) in the input dataset.

Possible values:

<!-- source: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-missing-values/mv-processing-methods.md -->
- "Forbidden" — Missing values are not supported, their presence is interpreted as an error.
- "Min" — Missing values are processed as the minimum value (less than all other values) for the feature. It is guaranteed that a split that separates missing values from all other values is considered when selecting trees.
- "Max" — Missing values are processed as the maximum value (greater than all other values) for the feature. It is guaranteed that a split that separates missing values from all other values is considered when selecting trees.
<!-- endsource: en/_includes/work_src/reusage-missing-values/mv-processing-methods.md -->

Using the  Min or Max value of this parameter guarantees that a split between missing values and other values is considered when selecting a new split in the tree.

{% note info %}

The method for processing missing values can be set individually for each feature in the [Custom quantization borders and missing value modes](https://catboost.ai/docs/en/concepts/input-data_custom-borders.md) input file. Such values override the ones specified in this parameter.

{% endnote %}

**Default value**

Min

**Supported processing units**

CPU and GPU