.env.dist.local 'link' -

Real environment variables should always have higher precedence than values from any file. This allows deployment platforms to override configuration without modifying files, supports container orchestration, and enables configuration through orchestration systems. Frameworks that don't respect this precedence create brittle systems that behave differently in development than production.

Just as .env.dist acts as a blueprint for your primary .env file, .env.dist.local acts as a blueprint for .env.local . It defines the structure and expected keys that developers should use when customizing the application behavior on their individual machines.

ENABLE_ANALYTICS=false ENABLE_EMAIL_VERIFICATION=false QUEUE_CONNECTION=sync # avoid needing a worker for local dev .env.dist.local

Consider a typical Symfony or Laravel application. When the application boots, it loads environment variables in this order (lowest to highest precedence):

Which (e.g., dotenv , direnv ) handles your configurations. Just as

In the landscape of software development, managing environment variables is a critical practice for maintaining security and portability. While many developers are familiar with the standard .env file and the template file .env.dist (or .env.example ), the .env.dist.local file serves a specific, often overlooked niche in the configuration hierarchy.

: It acts as documentation for all required configuration changes. When the application boots, it loads environment variables

variables: APP_ENV: test

Is your application deployed using , or a serverless cloud provider ? Share public link

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