Laravel 5.1 create array variable in .env file for global use

Question

Actually, I want an array like this in .env file. I do not have any idea to create an array variable in .env file.

 VARIABLE_NAME = [
    [0] => 'Value 1',
    [1] => 'Value 2',
    [2] => 'Value 3',
    ................

];

shaedrich · Accepted Answer · 2021-06-07 07:57:48Z

21

You can't store an array in .env file as the ENV format doesn't support that.

A workaround could be serializing the array to a string of some known format, e.g. comma separated values, and then split it whenever you needed.

This should do the trick:

#.env file
VARIABLE_NAME="Value 1,Value 2,Value 3"

#config/app.php
return [
  'VARIABLE_NAME' => explode(',', env('VARIABLE_NAME'))
];

shaedrich

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answered Aug 17, 2015 at 9:46

jedrzej.kurylo

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1 Comment

There is work around that allows also associative keys: laracasts.com/discuss/channels/general-discussion/… SETTING={"KEY1":"VALUE1","KEY2":"VALUE2"} $mydata = (array)json_decode(env('SETTING'));