Configuration

NixPHP provides a simple yet flexible configuration system based on .env files, a lightweight environment service, and a powerful configuration loader.

You can manage different settings for local development, staging, and production environments.

---

Using .env Files

NixPHP can automatically load environment variables from a .env file placed in the project root.

APP_ENV=local
APP_DEBUG=true
DB_HOST=localhost
DB_USER=root
DB_PASS=secret

• Each line defines a key-value pair.
• Lines starting with # are treated as comments.
• Values can be referenced inside configuration files or application code.

The .env file is loaded automatically during the bootstrap phase.

---

Accessing Environment Variables

You can access environment variables anywhere in your code using the env() helper:

$host = env('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

• The first argument is the environment variable name.
• The second argument is an optional default value if the variable is not set.

---

Environment Detection

NixPHP includes a small Environment service to detect the current application environment.

It supports four predefined environments:

Name	Typical Usage
local	Local development machine
staging	Preview system before going live
production	Live/real system
testing	Automated test environment

You can check the environment using helper methods:

if (env()->isLocal()) {
    ini_set('display_errors', '1');
}

if (env()->isProduction()) {
    ini_set('display_errors', '0');
}

Available methods:

• isLocal()
• isStaging()
• isProduction()
• isTesting()

---

Application Configuration

NixPHP loads application settings through a lightweight Config class.

You can organize configuration into arrays and load them through the container.

A typical configuration file might look like this:

return [
    'name' => 'My App',
    'api' => [
        'key' => 'ENV:API_KEY',
        'url' => 'https://api.example.com',
    ],
];

• Values prefixed with ENV: will be automatically resolved from environment variables.
• Nested arrays are supported.

---

Accessing Configuration Values

You can access configuration values using the config() helper:

// Get a full configuration array
$fullConfig = config();

// Get a single config value
$appName = config('name');

// Access nested configuration using "namespace" syntax
$apiKey = config('api:key');

// Provide a default value if the key is not found
$apiUrl = config('api:url', 'https://default.example.com');

• If the key contains a colon :, it is treated as a namespace separator.
• Nested configuration is traversed automatically.

---

Internals: How Configuration Works

The Config class:

• Accepts an array on construction.
• Resolves all ENV: placeholders recursively.
• Provides get($key, $default) and all() methods for access.
• Supports simple "namespace" lookups via : syntax.

The config() helper fetches the instance from the container and allows quick access anywhere in your code.

---

Example: Setting Error Display Based on Environment

You can configure error reporting inside bootstrap.php depending on the current environment:

if (env()->isProduction()) {
    ini_set('display_errors', '0');
    error_reporting(E_ALL & ~E_DEPRECATED & ~E_NOTICE);
} else {
    ini_set('display_errors', '1');
    error_reporting(E_ALL);
}

---

Summary

• Use .env files to store environment-specific settings.
• Use the env() helper to access variables with optional default values.
• The Environment service allows checking the current environment cleanly.
• Use configuration arrays with optional ENV: references.
• Access configuration values easily with the config() helper.
• Configuration supports nested access via "namespace" keys (e.g., api:key).