Allow missing APP_ENV in .env.local.php

[nicolas-grekas]

Q	A
License	MIT
Doc issue/PR	-

Reported by @bendavies

[ghost]

Pull request passes validation.

[bendavies]

Thanks!

[bendavies]

hmm no, this is no good actually.

I'm not really sure what #647 was trying to solve, but it #647 + this PR break this workflow:

## DotEnv not installed
rm .env
echo '<?php return [];' > .env.local.php
APP_ENV=prod bin/console

-> 
RuntimeException: Please run "composer require symfony/dotenv"

This errors because this comparison fails:

($_SERVER['APP_ENV'] ?? $_ENV['APP_ENV'] ?? $env['APP_ENV'] ?? null) === ($env['APP_ENV'] ?? null)
// ->
prod === null = false

As above, I don't know how to fix this because I honestly can't work out what #647 was trying to achieve.
@nicolas-grekas can you advise?

Thanks.

[guilliamxavier]

^{(FTR: syntax error, unexpected ')' fixed in #720 and #723)}

@bendavies: As I understand it, the purpose of #647 was to have e.g. APP_ENV=test bin/console always load .env.test even if .env.local.php exists [and contains 'APP_ENV' => 'prod'].

But maybe it should not have been merged, because #501 clearly said "When .env.local.php is found, other .env files are ignored",
and the docs say "After running this command [composer dump-env prod], Symfony will load the .env.local.php file to get the environment variables and will not spend time parsing the .env files".

@nicolas-grekas what do you think, should #647 be reverted?

Besides, Ben's workflow highlights a question: if you only use real environment variables and don't use any .env file nor the Dotenv component [in prod], you are still required to either create an empty .env.local.php or install symfony/dotenv, even though you actually don't need them?

[nicolas-grekas]

@guilliamxavier see #727

if you only use real environment variables and don't use any .env file nor the Dotenv component [in prod], you are still required to either create an empty .env.local.php

yes, that's desired as that's the best tradeoff for everyone.

[guilliamxavier]

@nicolas-grekas: 719 was this PR, I guess your meant #727. Indeed, I had missed it (thanks!). But then I also found #574, to which you answered:

As you spotted, .env.local.php freezes .env files. As such and on purpose, it's only for prod-like needs. Don't use it in test nor dev.

so isn't it paradoxical that you accepted #647 (~ six months later)? The docs aren't crystal clear either, so what is the actually intended behavior?

(As for the second question, thanks for the confirmation. I also found #529.)

[nicolas-grekas]

I guess your meant #727

correct, updated

isn't it paradoxical that you accepted #647

I'm "solution oriented", no dogma, looking for a default that works for most :)