README

A simple library to supply environment variables from .env.

Installation

You can install the Dotenv using Composer. Run the following command in your project's root directory:

composer require gokhankurtulus/dotenv

Usage

Example .env file;

EXAMPLE_KEY=mykey
EXAMPLE_SECRET=mysecret
DB_DRIVER=mysql
DB_TABLE=tablename

To use the Dotenv class in your PHP script, you need to include the Composer autoloader:

require_once 'vendor/autoload.php';

Example PHP file;

use Dotenv\Dotenv;

$dotenv = new Dotenv('.env');
// This will cause an \Exception because VERSION is not set on the environment file and raiseError is true by default.
$dotenv->required(['VERSION']); 

// If you don't want to get exception you can pass false as second parameter
if (!$dotenv->required(['VERSION'], false));
    echo 'You have to set VERSION.';
echo $_ENV['EXAMPLE_KEY']; // Output: mykey

Securing the .env File

The .env file contains sensitive information such as database credentials, API keys, and other confidential data. It is important to secure the file and restrict access to prevent unauthorized exposure of this information. Here are some guidelines to consider:

File Placement: Place the .env file outside the public web directory or in a directory that is not directly accessible by the web server. This prevents direct access to the file via URL.
File Permissions: Set appropriate file permissions to ensure that only authorized users or processes can read the .env file. Restricting access to the file prevents unauthorized users from viewing its contents.
Gitignore: Add the .env file to your project's .gitignore file. This ensures that the file is not included in version control systems, preventing accidental exposure of sensitive information in your code repository.
Environment-specific Files: Consider using separate .env files for different environments (e.g., development, staging, production). This allows you to specify environment-specific configurations and reduces the risk of exposing sensitive credentials in non-production environments.
Encryption or Encoding: If required, you can encrypt or encode sensitive values within the .env file. This adds an extra layer of protection, and the values can be decrypted or decoded at runtime when they are needed.

Remember, the security of your application depends on properly safeguarding the sensitive information stored in the .env file. Regularly review and update the file, and ensure that access to it is limited to authorized individuals or processes.

Note: It is important to consult with a security professional and follow security best practices to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of your application's sensitive data.

License

Dotenv is open-source software released under the MIT License. Feel free to modify and use it in your projects.

Contributions

Contributions to Dotenv are welcome! If you find any issues or have suggestions for improvements, please create an issue or submit a pull request on the GitHub repository.

gokhankurtulus / dotenv

Maintainers

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