Download the PHP package dev-kraken/env-validator without Composer

EnvValidator

Type-safe environment variable validation for Laravel and PHP applications

EnvValidator is a modern, type-safe PHP package for validating environment variables in Laravel and standalone PHP applications. It provides robust validation with clear error messages, intelligent presets, extensible rule objects, and automatic environment file synchronization.

:sparkles: Features

• :lock: Type-safe validation with PHP 8.2+ and PHPStan level max
• :dart: Smart presets for common scenarios (Laravel, microservices, production, etc.)
• :jigsaw: Extensible rule system with custom Rule objects
• :arrows_counterclockwise: Environment sync to keep .env and .env.example synchronized
• :rocket: Laravel integration with auto-discovery and Artisan commands
• :package: Standalone support for non-Laravel PHP applications
• :shield: Production-ready with comprehensive test coverage
• :memo: Clear error messages with detailed validation feedback

:rocket: Quick Start

Installation

You can publish the configuration file with:

Laravel Usage

Standalone PHP Usage

Basic Example (String Rules)

Advanced Example (Rule Objects)

Required Field Validation

EnvValidator properly handles required field validation in both Laravel and standalone PHP environments:

Required fields fail validation when they are:

• ❌ Missing from the environment
• ❌ Empty strings ('')
• ❌ Null values
• ✅ Present with valid values

:clipboard: Built-in Rule Presets

Preset Usage Examples

:dart: Rule Objects vs String Rules

EnvValidator uses Rule objects for better type safety and maintainability:

:white_check_mark: Rule Objects (Recommended)

Benefits:

• :mag: IDE autocompletion and type hints
• :test_tube: Easy unit testing of individual rules
• :recycle: Reusable across multiple fields
• :art: Custom error messages with context
• :wrench: Better debugging and inspection

:books: Available Rule Objects

String Rules

• BooleanRule - Validates boolean values (true, false, 1, 0, yes, no, etc.)
• InRule - Validates value is in a list of allowed values
• KeyRule - Validates Laravel application keys (base64: format)
• PatternRule - Validates against regex patterns
• EmailRule - Validates email addresses
• JsonRule - Validates JSON strings

Numeric Rules

• NumericRule - Validates numeric values
• IntegerRule - Validates integer values
• PortRule - Validates port numbers (1-65535)

Network Rules

• UrlRule - Validates URLs
• IpRule - Validates IP addresses

:hammer_and_wrench: Advanced Usage

Custom Rules

Environment-Specific Validation

Conditional Validation

:art: Laravel Integration

Artisan Commands

:arrows_counterclockwise: Environment File Synchronization

Keep your .env and .env.example files synchronized automatically! This feature helps prevent deployment issues when developers add new environment variables but forget to update the example file.

:mag: Check Synchronization Status

Sample Output:

:gear: Synchronization Commands

:shield: Security Features

The sync command automatically handles sensitive data:

• Sensitive keys (PASSWORD, SECRET, KEY, TOKEN) get empty values
• URLs become https://example.com
• Email addresses become [email protected]
• Boolean values are standardized to true
• Numeric values (ports, timeouts) are preserved
• Environment names get appropriate defaults (production)

:building_construction: Integration with CI/CD

Add environment sync checks to your deployment pipeline:

:computer: Programmatic Usage

:computer: Standalone PHP Usage

The environment sync feature works perfectly in standalone PHP applications (without Laravel):

Different Project Structures

Deployment Script Integration

:bulb: Best Practices

Laravel Projects

1. Before Deployments: Always run php artisan env:sync --check
2. In Development: Use php artisan env:sync when adding new variables
3. Team Workflow:
   • Add new variables to .env
   • Run php artisan env:sync
   • Commit both .env.example and updated validation rules
4. CI/CD Integration: Fail builds if files are out of sync
5. Security: Use --no-values flag for highly sensitive projects

Standalone PHP Projects

1. Always specify absolute paths: Use __DIR__ or getcwd() for reliable paths
2. Check file existence: Use $syncService->envFileExists() before operations
3. Handle errors gracefully: Always check $result['success'] before proceeding
4. Integrate with deployment: Add sync checks to your deployment scripts
5. Combine with validation: Use sync + validation for complete environment safety

Service Provider Configuration

Facade Usage

:test_tube: Testing

Running Tests

Code Quality

:book: Examples

The examples/ directory contains comprehensive examples demonstrating various use cases:

• comprehensive_examples.php - Complete feature showcase with presets and rule objects
• required_field_examples.php - Detailed required field validation examples
• env_sync_examples.php - Environment file synchronization demonstrations (Laravel)
• standalone_env_sync_examples.php - Environment sync for standalone PHP applications
• preset_examples.php - Preset system demonstrations
• rule_objects_demo.php - Rule object usage and benefits

Real-World Scenarios

Running Examples

:handshake: Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for details.

Development Setup

:page_facing_up: License

The MIT License (MIT). Please see License File for more information.

:lock: Security

If you discover any security vulnerabilities, please send an email to [email protected] instead of using the issue tracker.

:telephone_receiver: Support

• :email: Email: [email protected]
• :bug: Issues: GitHub Issues
• :speech_balloon: Discussions: GitHub Discussions

Made with :heart: by Dev Kraken