PHP dotenv

Loads environment variables from .env to getenv(), $_ENV and $_SERVER automagically.

This is a PHP version of the original Ruby dotenv.

Why .env?

You should never store sensitive credentials in your code. Storing configuration in the environment is one of the tenets of a twelve-factor app. Anything that is likely to change between deployment environments – such as database credentials or credentials for 3rd party services – should be extracted from the code into environment variables.

Basically, a .env file is an easy way to load custom configuration variables that your application needs without having to modify .htaccess files or Apache/nginx virtual hosts. This means you won't have to edit any files outside the project, and all the environment variables are always set no matter how you run your project - Apache, Nginx, CLI, and even PHP 5.4's built-in webserver. It's WAY easier than all the other ways you know of to set environment variables, and you're going to love it.

• NO editing virtual hosts in Apache or Nginx
• NO adding php_value flags to .htaccess files
• EASY portability and sharing of required ENV values
• COMPATIBLE with PHP's built-in web server and CLI runner

from : https://github.com/vlucas/phpdotenv