This ensures that APP_DEBUG=true from .env.dist.local never leaks into your test suite.
: Developers use it as a starting point by running a command like cp .env.dist.local .env.local to create their private config file. How it differs from other .env files Git Tracked? .env Default values for all environments. .env.dist A "distribution" template for the entire project. .env.dist.local Yes A template specifically for local machine overrides. .env.local The actual local secrets/settings for your machine.
: It serves as a blueprint for developers to create their own .env.local Version Control .env.local (which contains secrets and is ignored by Git), .env.dist.local
This pattern is particularly common in Docker ecosystems. Tools like docker-compose allow for multiple env files. A setup might look like this: