Config Laravel Package

Getting Started

• This package is a standalone subtree split of Laravel’s Config component—used internally by Laravel but usable in non-Laravel PHP apps.
• First stop: Read the Laravel config documentation as the API remains identical; this package is that logic extracted.
• Basic usage: Instantiate Illuminate\Config\Repository with an array of config values and optionally a loader (e.g., FileLoader for .php files), then retrieve values via get('key').
• Example minimal setup:

  use Illuminate\Config\Repository;
  use Illuminate\Filesystem\Filesystem;
  
  $files = new Filesystem();
  $loader = new Illuminate\Config\FileLoader($files, base_path('config'));
  $config = new Repository($loader, ['app' => ['name' => 'MyApp']]);
  $name = $config->get('app.name');
  

Implementation Patterns

• Hybrid static-like access: While not static by default, many projects wrap Repository in a static facade or singleton for convenience (similar to Laravel’s Config facade).
• Environment-specific overrides: Use env() calls inside config files to support .env values (requires manually calling $_SERVER/$_ENV—this package does not auto-load .env; that’s handled in Laravel’s bootstrap).
• Lazy loading via FileLoader: Ideal for apps that want config cached or hot-reloaded during development; config files are resolved only when accessed.
• Fallback and merge support: Use Repository::offsetGet() or get() with dot notation ('database.connections.mysql.host') to traverse nested arrays; supports fallback defaults via get('key', 'default_value').
• Testing patterns: Inject Repository (or interface Illuminate\Contracts\Config\Repository) and mock get() calls with withConsecutive() to assert expected config paths.

Gotchas and Tips

• No .env parsing: This package does not interpret env('KEY') calls in config files. To use env values, you must wrap calls like $_ENV['KEY'] ?? 'default' manually in your config files. Laravel does this via its DetectEnvironment bootstrapper.
• No caching by default: Unlike Laravel’s Config::set() with config:cache, this component has no built-in cache layer—implement caching via a custom CachedLoader or wrap Repository with your own caching middleware.
• Dependency chain matters: Requires illuminate/collections and contracts. Ensure compatible versions (e.g., v13.x requires PHP 8.3+ per composer.json).
• No auto-discovery: Unlike full Laravel, this component doesn’t scan config/ automatically—must explicitly configure FileLoader with the correct path(s).
• Extension point: Implement LoaderInterface (e.g., ArrayLoader, JsonLoader) to load configs from JSON, databases, or YAML (with extra packages).
• Debugging tip: Use Repository::inspect('some.key') to see how a value is resolved (though this is an internal method—use with caution across versions).
• Testing configs: For unit tests, prefer ArrayLoader over FileLoader to avoid filesystem side effects:

  $loader = new ArrayLoader(['app.timezone' => 'UTC']);
  $config = new Repository($loader);