Nugsoft Developer Guides

Configuration

Environment Configuration

Environment configuration allows you to manage settings for different environments (local, staging, production) without changing code. Laravel uses the .env file for this purpose.

  • Store sensitive and environment-specific settings in the .env file (e.g., database credentials, API keys).
  • Never commit the .env file to version control. Use .env.example for sharing default settings.
  • Access environment variables using env('KEY') in config files.

Example .env file:

APP_NAME=LaravelApp
APP_ENV=local
APP_KEY=base64:...
DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=laravel
DB_USERNAME=root
DB_PASSWORD=

Best Practices:

  • Use different .env files for each environment.
  • Document required environment variables in .env.example.
  • Use secure values for production (e.g., strong APP_KEY).

Configuration Files

Configuration files in config/ define application settings and options. Always use environment variables for sensitive or environment-specific values.

// Good
return [
    'key' => env('CONFIG_KEY', 'default_value'),
    'api_url' => env('API_URL', 'https://api.example.com'),
];

// Bad
return [
    'key' => 'hardcoded_value',
    'api_url' => 'https://api.example.com',
];
  • Group related settings in separate config files (e.g., config/database.php, config/mail.php).
  • Use sensible defaults for optional settings.
  • Document config options with comments.

Example: Custom Config File

Create a custom config file in config/custom.php:

return [
    'feature_enabled' => env('FEATURE_ENABLED', false),
    'max_items' => env('MAX_ITEMS', 100),
];

Access config values in code:

if (config('custom.feature_enabled')) {
    // Feature logic...
}

Best Practices

  • Centralize configuration in the config/ directory.
  • Use environment variables for all secrets and environment-specific values.
  • Validate configuration values before use.
  • Document all required config options for new team members.
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