How to use environment variables with Composer
Composer allows environment variable interpolation in composer.json using ${VAR_NAME} syntax, but only in fields like scripts, extra, and config—not in require or autoload. 2. You can set variables inline when running commands, such as APP_ENV=production composer install, to control behavior per environment. 3. Custom scripts can include conditional logic based on environment variables, enabling context-aware execution like validating APP_ENV=production before starting a production server. 4. Since Composer does not load .env files natively, use external methods like shell scripts with source .env or tools like phpdotenv to load variables before running Composer. 5. Best practices include avoiding hardcoded secrets, validating required variables in scripts, using clear naming conventions, and leveraging the config section with fallbacks to ensure secure and flexible configurations across environments, all while ensuring sensitive data is never committed to version control.
Using environment variables with Composer allows you to customize package installation, script execution, and configuration behavior without hardcoding values. This is especially useful when working across different environments (development, staging, production) or when managing sensitive data.
Here’s how you can effectively use environment variables with Composer:
1. Accessing Environment Variables in composer.json
Composer supports environment variable interpolation in the composer.json file using the syntax: ${VAR_NAME}.
For example, you can use environment variables in scripts or extra configuration:
{
"scripts": {
"post-install-cmd": "echo Installing in ${APP_ENV} mode"
},
"extra": {
"env": "${APP_ENV}"
}
}When you run composer install, Composer will replace ${APP_ENV} with the actual value of the APP_ENV environment variable, if set.
Note: This only works for the
scripts,extra,config, and a few other top-level fields. You cannot use environment variables inrequireorautoloadsections.
2. Setting Environment Variables for Composer Commands
You can pass environment variables directly when running Composer commands:
APP_ENV=production composer install
Or on Windows (PowerShell):
$env:APP_ENV="production"; composer install
This ensures that any script or package behavior relying on APP_ENV will use the correct value during execution.
3. Using Variables in Composer Scripts
You can write custom scripts that respond to environment variables. For example:
{
"scripts": {
"start": [
"@php -S localhost:8000 -t public/ index.php"
],
"start-dev": [
"echo 'Starting dev server...'",
"@start"
],
"start-prod": [
"if [ \"${APP_ENV}\" != \"production\" ]; then echo 'Must set APP_ENV=production'; exit 1; fi",
"@start"
]
}
}Then run:
APP_ENV=production composer start-prod
This adds conditional logic based on environment context.
4. Using .env Files (with External Tools)
Composer itself does not load .env files. However, you can use external tools like phpdotenv or shell scripts to load them before running Composer.
Example using a shell script (run-composer.sh):
#!/bin/bash set -a [ -f .env ] && source .env set +a composer install
This sources the .env file and exports all variables before running Composer.
Alternatively, you can use a wrapper script in PHP that loads .env and then executes Composer logic — though this is more common in application bootstrap than in Composer itself.
5. Best Practices and Security Tips
Avoid secrets in
composer.json: Never store passwords or API keys directly incomposer.json. Use environment variables instead.Validate required variables: In scripts, check that essential variables are set:
"scripts": { "pre-install-cmd": [ "if [ -z \"$DATABASE_URL\" ]; then echo 'DATABASE_URL is required'; exit 1; fi" ] }Use descriptive names: Stick to a naming convention like
APP_ENV,COMPOSER_CACHE_DIR, etc., for clarity.Leverage config section: You can override Composer’s internal config using environment variables:
"config": { "cache-dir": "${COMPOSER_CACHE_DIR:-/tmp/composer-cache}" }This uses the value of
COMPOSER_CACHE_DIR, or falls back to/tmp/composer-cache.
Basically, Composer supports environment variables in specific contexts, especially within scripts and config. While it doesn’t load
.envfiles automatically, combining it with shell or PHP logic gives you full control over environment-specific behavior. Just remember: keep configs flexible, and never commit secrets.The above is the detailed content of How to use environment variables with Composer. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!
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