Why You Should Use config() Instead of Calling .env Directly in Laravel

Laravel provides an elegant way to manage your environment variables via the .env file. However, directly calling env() in your application logic is not considered best practice. Instead, you should use Laravel's built-in config() function. This blog post explains why.

1. Better Performance

Environment variables from .env are loaded only once when your application boots. Calling env() repeatedly during your application’s execution can impact performance. By loading environment variables into config() files, you ensure they are cached, reducing unnecessary overhead.

Laravel has a built-in caching system for configuration files. When you run php artisan config:cache, all configuration files are compiled into a single cache file for optimized performance. This means every time your app needs configuration data, it can retrieve it directly from this cache instead of reloading environment variables. However, if you're using env() directly, this bypasses the configuration cache, leading to slower performance since Laravel would need to fetch and parse the .env file every time it's accessed.

// Direct use of env() in application logic
$paymentMode = env('PAYMENT_MODE');

// Using config() is more performant
$paymentMode = config('services.payment_mode');

2. Configuration Caching

Laravel allows you to cache your configuration to boost performance. When you run php artisan config:cache, it caches all of your configuration files. If you are directly calling env(), those variables will not be cached, which could lead to performance issues or even incorrect configurations in production if the .env file is changed without updating the cache.

// Cached in config, ideal for performance and consistency
$apiKey = config('services.api_key');

3. Consistency Across Environments

Relying on config() ensures that your application behaves consistently across all environments (local, staging, production, etc.). The .env file should only be used to store environment-specific values, but your application should pull values from config() to ensure consistency in different environments.

// Example in config/services.php
'payment_mode' => env('PAYMENT_MODE', 'sandbox'),

This ensures that if the .env variable is missing or misconfigured, the app will default to the value in the configuration file.

4. Security and Flexibility

Environment variables might contain sensitive data like API keys or database credentials. By using the config() method, you isolate sensitive information from being hardcoded in your application’s logic, offering a cleaner separation of concerns and enhanced security.

Also, by centralizing configuration in config/ files, you can easily modify these settings without directly touching your business logic. It allows for easy switching of services or configurations across environments.

// Retrieving from config, ensures the value is set and secure
$apiToken = config('services.api_token');

5. Testability

Unit testing your application becomes easier when using config(). It’s straightforward to mock configuration values using Laravel’s Config::set() method in your tests. This allows you to test different behaviors without having to modify environment variables directly.

// Example in a test case
Config::set('services.api_key', 'fake_api_key_for_testing');

If you use env() in your application logic, you can't mock or override the value easily in tests, which complicates testing.

6. Consistency in Production

In production environments, configuration files are typically cached for performance reasons. Using env() directly may cause unexpected behaviors because it bypasses the configuration cache. This can lead to incorrect values being used in production, especially if the .env file has been changed but not reflected in the cache.

// Using config() ensures the correct value is retrieved from the cached configuration
$timezone = config('app.timezone');

Conclusion

Using config() instead of env() directly ensures better performance, consistency, and flexibility. It leverages Laravel’s configuration cache, ensures consistency across different environments, enhances testability, and keeps sensitive data secure. The .env file should only be used for environment-specific values, and your application should rely on config() to retrieve them, offering an efficient, maintainable, and scalable solution.