.env.default.local

By using .env.default.local and .env.local files, you can keep your API key secure and separate from your version-controlled configuration.

| File | Committed? | Purpose | |------|------------|---------| | .env | Yes | Shared defaults (safe public values) | | .env.default | Yes | System fallback (rarely used) | | .env.local | No | Actual local secrets & overrides | | .env.default.local | No | Safe local defaults (base for .env.local ) | | .env.testing | Yes | Testing environment defaults | | .env.production | No | Server-only (managed via deploy scripts) | .env.default.local

// Load the default file (committed) if (file_exists($root.'.env.default')) Dotenv::createMutable($root, '.env.default')->load(); By using

In the landscape of modern software development, managing configuration variables—API keys, database URLs, and environment-specific settings—is a critical discipline. The standard has largely settled on the .env file, a simple key-value pair file loaded into the application’s environment. However, as projects grow in complexity and team size, a single file is rarely enough. This is where the nuanced hierarchy of environment files comes into play, and where the specific utility of .env.default.local becomes apparent. The standard has largely settled on the