Command Line Tools

Wheels env Show

Overview

The wheels env show command displays environment variables from .env files in your Wheels project. This command provides a convenient way to view your application’s configuration, with intelligent grouping, security masking, and multiple output formats. It helps you understand what environment variables are available and how they’re organized.

Command Syntax

wheels env show [options]

Parameters

Optional Parameters

Parameter	Description	Default
`--key`	Show a specific environment variable by key name	-
`--format`	Output format: `table` or `json`	`table`
`--file`	Specific .env file to read	`.env`

Basic Usage Examples

Show All Variables (Default)

wheels env show

Displays all environment variables from .env in a grouped, readable table format

Show Specific Variable

wheels env show --key=DB_HOST

Shows only the DB_HOST variable and its value

Show in JSON Format

wheels env show --format=json

Outputs all variables as formatted JSON

Show from Different File

wheels env show --file=.env.production

Displays variables from .env.production instead of .env

Advanced Usage Examples

Development vs Production Comparison

# View development variables
wheels env show --file=.env.development

# View production variables
wheels env show --file=.env.production

Check Specific Configuration

# Check database configuration
wheels env show --key=DB_NAME
wheels env show --key=DB_HOST

# Check API settings
wheels env show --key=API_KEY

Output Formats

Table Format (Default)

The table format groups variables by prefix and displays them in an organized, readable way:

==================================================
           Environment Variables Viewer
==================================================


Environment Variables from .env
--------------------------------------------------
╔════════════╤═════════════╤════════╗
║ Variable   │ Value       │ Source ║
╠════════════╪═════════════╪════════╣
║ DB_NAME    │ myapp       │ .env   ║
╟────────────┼─────────────┼────────╢
║ DB_PORT    │ 3306        │ .env   ║
╟────────────┼─────────────┼────────╢
║ DB_USER    │ root        │ .env   ║
╟────────────┼─────────────┼────────╢
║ wheels_env │ development │ .env   ║
╚════════════╧═════════════╧════════╝

Total variables:          4
[INFO]: Usage tips:
  - Access in app: application.env['VARIABLE_NAME']
  - Use in config: set(value=application.env['VARIABLE_NAME'])
  - Wheels loads .env automatically on app start
  - Update: wheels env set KEY=VALUE

JSON Format

Clean JSON output suitable for processing or integration:

{
  "API_BASE_URL": "https://api.example.com",
  "API_KEY": "********",
  "APP_NAME": "My Application",
  "DB_HOST": "localhost",
  "DB_NAME": "myapp",
  "DB_PASSWORD": "********",
  "DB_PORT": "3306",
  "DEBUG_MODE": "true",
  "WHEELS_ENV": "development"
}

Features

Intelligent Grouping

Variables are automatically grouped by prefix for better organization:

DB_* variables (database configuration)
API_* variables (API settings)
WHEELS_* variables (framework settings)
Other Variables (ungrouped items)

Security Masking

Sensitive values are automatically masked when displayed:

Variables containing password → ********
Variables containing secret → ********
Variables containing key → ********

The actual values remain unchanged in your files - only the display is masked.

Supported File Formats

Properties Format (Standard .env)

## Database Configuration
DB_HOST=localhost
DB_PORT=3306
DB_NAME=myapp
DB_USER=wheels
DB_PASSWORD="secret123"

## Application Settings
WHEELS_ENV=development
DEBUG_MODE=true

JSON Format

{
  "DB_HOST": "localhost",
  "DB_PORT": "3306",
  "DB_NAME": "myapp",
  "WHEELS_ENV": "development",
  "DEBUG_MODE": "true"
}

Quote Handling

The command automatically handles quoted values:

Double quotes: KEY="value with spaces"
Single quotes: KEY='another value'
Quotes are stripped from displayed values

Error Handling and Validation

Project Validation

The command ensures you’re in a valid Wheels project:

This command must be run from a Wheels project root directory

Missing File Handling

If the specified .env file doesn’t exist, you’ll see helpful guidance:

No .env file found in project root

Create a .env file with key=value pairs, for example:
--------------------------------------------------


[INFO]: Use 'wheels env set KEY=VALUE' to create environment variables
╔══════════════╤══════════════════════════╤═════════════╗
║ Source       │ Variable                 │ Value       ║
╠══════════════╪══════════════════════════╪═════════════╣
║              │ # Database Configuration │             ║
╟──────────────┼──────────────────────────┼─────────────╢
║ .env.example │ DB_HOST                  │ localhost   ║
╟──────────────┼──────────────────────────┼─────────────╢
║ .env.example │ DB_PORT                  │ 3306        ║
╟──────────────┼──────────────────────────┼─────────────╢
║ .env.example │ DB_NAME                  │ myapp       ║
╟──────────────┼──────────────────────────┼─────────────╢
║ .env.example │ DB_USER                  │ wheels      ║
╟──────────────┼──────────────────────────┼─────────────╢
║ .env.example │ DB_PASSWORD              │ secret      ║
╟──────────────┼──────────────────────────┼─────────────╢
║              │ # Application Settings   │             ║
╟──────────────┼──────────────────────────┼─────────────╢
║ .env.example │ WHEELS_ENV               │ development ║
╟──────────────┼──────────────────────────┼─────────────╢
║ .env.example │ WHEELS_RELOAD_PASSWORD   │ mypassword  ║
╚══════════════╧══════════════════════════╧═════════════╝

Key Not Found

When requesting a specific key that doesn’t exist:

[WARNING]: Environment variable 'API_BASE_URL' not found in .env


Available Variables in .env
--------------------------------------------------
╔═══════════════╤═════════════════════╗
║ Current Value │ Available Variables ║
╠═══════════════╪═════════════════════╣
║ myapp         │ DB_NAME             ║
╟───────────────┼─────────────────────╢
║ 3306          │ DB_PORT             ║
╟───────────────┼─────────────────────╢
║ root          │ DB_USER             ║
╚═══════════════╧═════════════════════╝

Common Use Cases

Configuration Review

# Review all current settings
wheels env show

# Check what's different between environments
wheels env show --file=.env.development
wheels env show --file=.env.production

Debugging Configuration Issues

# Check if a specific variable is set
wheels env show --key=DB_HOST

# Verify API configuration
wheels env show --key=API_BASE_URL
wheels env show --key=API_KEY

Environment Setup Verification

# Verify development setup
wheels env show --file=.env.development

# Check staging configuration
wheels env show --file=.env.staging

Documentation and Export

# Generate configuration documentation
wheels env show --format=json > docs/environment-config.json

# Create environment template
wheels env show --file=.env.example

Integration with Wheels Framework

The command provides helpful tips on how to use the variables in your Wheels application:

<!-- In your Wheels application -->
<cfset dataSource = application.env['DB_NAME']>
<cfset apiKey = application.env['API_KEY']>
<cfset debugMode = application.env['DEBUG_MODE']>

<!-- In config files -->
<cfset set(dataSourceName=application.env['DB_NAME'])>
<cfset set(URLRewriting=application.env['URL_REWRITING'])>

Best Practices

1. Regular Configuration Review

# Regularly review your environment configuration
wheels env show

2. Environment-Specific Checks

# Always verify environment-specific settings
wheels env show --file=.env.production --key=WHEELS_ENV
wheels env show --file=.env.development --key=DEBUG_MODE

3. Security Verification

# Check that sensitive values are properly set
wheels env show --key=API_KEY
wheels env show --key=DB_PASSWORD

4. Documentation Generation

# Generate configuration documentation
wheels env show --format=json > config-docs.json

5. Troubleshooting Workflow

# When debugging configuration issues:
# 1. Check if variable exists
wheels env show --key=PROBLEMATIC_VAR

# 2. Review all variables for typos
wheels env show

# 3. Compare against working environment
wheels env show --file=.env.working

Integration Tips

With Other Wheels Commands

# View current config, then update if needed
wheels env show --key=DB_HOST
wheels env set DB_HOST=newhost.com

# Check merged configuration
wheels env merge .env.base .env.local --dry-run
wheels env show --file=.env.merged

CI/CD Integration

# In deployment scripts
wheels env show --file=.env.production --format=json | jq '.DB_HOST'

Development Workflow

# Quick environment check during development
wheels env show --key=WHEELS_ENV
wheels env show --key=DEBUG_MODE

Tips and Shortcuts

Grouped display makes it easy to understand related configurations
Security masking protects sensitive data during demos or screen sharing
JSON output is perfect for automation and integration scripts
Helpful error messages guide you when files are missing or keys don’t exist
Project validation ensures you’re running the command in the right location
Multiple file support lets you easily compare different environment configurations