Test environments for database integration tests in Laravel 5

As far as I have read, in Laravel 4 you could define your database integration test environment by adding a testing/database.php or .env.testing.php file containing your configuiration. In Laravel 5 both ways does no longer work. To switch your environment you have two options:

1. Put both configuration definitions (testing, dev/production) inside your config/database.php:

   'connections' => [
   
   'sqlite' => [
   'driver' => 'sqlite',
   'database' => storage_path('database.sqlite'),
   'prefix' => '',
   ],
   'mysql' => [
   'driver' => 'mysql',
   'host' => env('DB_HOST', 'localhost'),
   'database' => env('DB_DATABASE', 'schema'),
   'username' => env('DB_USERNAME', 'root'),
   'password' => env('DB_PASSWORD', 'root'),
   'charset' => 'utf8',
   'collation' => 'utf8_unicode_ci',
   'prefix' => '',
   'strict' => false,
   ],
   'mysql_testing' => [
   'driver' => 'mysql',
   'host' => env('DB_HOST_TEST', 'localhost'),
   'database' => env('DB_DATABASE_TEST', 'schema_test'),
   'username' => env('DB_USERNAME_TEST', 'root'),
   'password' => env('DB_PASSWORD_TEST', 'root'),
   'charset' => 'utf8',
   'collation' => 'utf8_unicode_ci',
   'prefix' => '',
   'strict' => false,
   ],
   

   and store the configuration defaults in your .env file by adding the configuration keys DB_HOST_TEST, DB_DATABASE_TEST and so on. Eventually you must modify your base TestCase::createApplication to use the mysql_testing connection:

   /**
   * Creates the application.
   *
   * @return \Illuminate\Foundation\Application
   */
   public function createApplication()
   {
   putenv('DB_CONNECTION', 'mysql_testing');
   
   $app->make(Illuminate\Contracts\Console\Kernel::class)->bootstrap();
   
   return $app;
   }
   

2. I prefer the second solution: Copy the .env file to .env.testing, modify the settings and override the default Dotenv file .env by modifying your base TestCase::createApplication:

   public function createApplication()
   {
   $app = require __DIR__.'/../bootstrap/app.php';
   // ckl: use .env.testing in favor of .env; clear separation between configuration values and configuration definition
   $app->loadEnvironmentFrom('.env.testing');
   
   $app->make(Illuminate\Contracts\Console\Kernel::class)->bootstrap();
   
   return $app;