Hi Charlie,
Thank you for coming back to me. Maybe I should take this to the devinfo mailing list and I really appreciate any help I can get - I'm not trying to be difficult, but let me explain:
I doubt that you'll need to change the startup file, since it reads its settings from /etc/sysconfig/ups.
The startup file is /etc/init.d/ups and it uses a number of parameters to establish how to start the ups. Here is the relevant section:
start() {
        if [ "$SERVER" = "yes" ]; then
                # Exit if server = yes and model = NONE (not configured)
                if [ "$MODEL" = "NONE" ]; then
                        exit 0
                fi
                echo -n $"Starting $MODEL: "
                if [ "$MODEL" = "upsdrvctl" ]; then
                        daemon /sbin/upsdrvctl start
                else
                        daemon /sbin/$MODEL $OPTIONS $DEVICE
                fi
                echo
                prog="upsd"
                echo -n $"Starting $prog: "
                daemon /usr/sbin/upsd $UPSD_OPTIONS
                RETVAL=$?
                echo
      else
                echo -n $"Starting UPS monitor (slave): "
                daemon /usr/sbin/upsmon
                echo
        fi
        [ "$RETVAL" = 0 ] && touch /var/lock/subsys/ups
}
The parameter $SERVER is set in /home/e-smith/db/configuration but the other parameters used ($MODEL, $OPTIONS, $DEVICE and $UPSD_OPTIONS) are not set in /home/e-smith/db/configuration. The first three could come, as you said, from /etc/sysconfig/ups but that is created from the files in /etc/e-smith/templates/etc/sysconfig/ups/. For example the DEVICE fragment looks like this:
{
# UPS device - needed if UPS is locally attached
    my $device = $nut{Device} || "/var/lib/ups/hiddev0";
    $OUT .= "DEVICE=$device";
}
If nothing is defined for $nut(Device) then it defaults to the hiddev0 driver which is used for UPS's with a USB connection. I have a serial connection and I need this to pont to the 'Blazer' device. In order to do that 
I think I need to add this parameter to the /etc/e-smith/db/configuration file. I don't  know how to do that and I haven't found documentation on how to do it.
The same applie (more or less)  to the other parameters mentioned above and I don't know at alll where $UPSD_OPTIONS is initialised.
Did you try "Development"? 
Yes, I have examined all the documentation under Development. Unfortunately, for example, under the link for “How to build a contrib.” the links to what look like useful documents all fail. (e.g. 
http://www.e-smith.org/docs/papers/templates.html).
This doc was in a section that reads “For a detailed discussion of the e-smith templated configuration system and how to use it to greatest effect, see the paper 23 The e-smith templated configuration system on the e-smith developer website.”
I have also searched the forum archive and the how-to’s and Googled the question quite extensively. I’m sure it is all available somewhere – I just need someone to point the way. 
Stung by your suggestion that I hadn’t looked as hard as I could, I found two documents on soundforge that go quite a long way to helping. Now I just have a couple of questions to ask to check my understanding. The differences are small and are all documented.
OK, I take your point – I was thrown by a reference to /home/e-smith/configuration (missing /db/) in one of them. My apologies if I have caused offence.
 If you can tell people which documentation you've looked at and which bits aren't clear people will be more able to help you. 
I have given more detail
 If you want to "hook up" with people who know the insides then the devinfo mailing list is a likely place. On-topic technical questions are usually answered quickly there.
Thanks to you I have now got a clearer picture! Is this where you suggest I go to ask some questions that will confirm (or contradict) my understanding of how add/change configuration parameters?
Thanks, Ken