Per or by default? [duplicate]

In the sentence below, is it better to use per or by?

When you create a new software component, the database is used per/by default.

I've taken a look at the "By" vs "Per" question suggested below. This is close but not exactly what I was looking for. In software engineering, we tend to "enable software components per or by default". The example you state has a different context, if I understand correctly.

Solution 1:

I understand the context, but I don't think per is appropriate here, unless by default you are referring to an array or a structure with multiple items holding the default values. It may be acceptable if that is the case, but you can avoid confusion by being more explicit about the nature of the values involved.