README

A minimal and straightforward .env file loader for PHP 8.1+.

Ideal for small to medium-sized projects that need simple environment variable loading without additional dependencies.

Installation

composer require lirien/env

Usage

use Lirien\Support\Env;

// Load the .env file (typically at application bootstrap)
Env::load(__DIR__ . '/../.env');

// Retrieve a variable
$appName = Env::get('APP_NAME');

// Set a variable at runtime (e.g. in tests)
Env::set('APP_ENV', 'testing');

Example .env

APP_NAME=Lirien
APP_ENV=local
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=myapp
DB_USERNAME=root
DB_PASSWORD=secret

# Comments and empty lines are ignored
REDIS_HOST=127.0.0.1

Methods

• Env::load(string $path) - Loads variables from the specified .env file

• Env::get(string $key): string - Returns the environment variable value

• Env::set(string $key, string value): void - Sets or overrides a variable at runtime

Tip: Always provide a default value when using Env::get() if the variable might not exist.

Security & Best Practices

• Never commit your .env file — it must stay out of version control

• Store the .env file outside the public web root

• Validate and sanitize values loaded from the environment

• Use Env::set() for tests or runtime overrides, not for permanent configuration

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.