value from env not echoing

Question

i have worked on laravel with quite some time now with laravel 5.0 to 5.8 i am currently using laravel 5.7 in a project , i am declaring some constants in my env file but i am unable to print them in my controller here is constants in my env file

    APP_NAME=Laravel
APP_ENV=production
APP_KEY=base64:Qm/Xwz4V9oJLhlk8RiY4usy4cdruFHRTe8iYkj7suMs=
APP_DEBUG=true
APP_URL=http://devmarketplace.finpay.pk
LOG_CHANNEL=stack

DB_CONNECTION=mysql

#crm database
DB_HOST=localhost
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=marketplacecrm
DB_USERNAME=root
DB_PASSWORD=

#marketplace database
LIVE_READ_DB_HOST=localhost
LIVE_WRITE_DB_HOST=localhost

#marketplace database
LIVE_DB_DATABASE=marketplace
LIVE_DB_USERNAME=root
LIVE_DB_PASSWORD=

#marketplace logs
LIVE_LOGS_DB_HOST=localhost
LIVE_LOGS_DB_DATABASE=marketplacelogs
LIVE_LOGS_DB_USERNAME=root
LIVE_LOGS_DB_PASSWORD=

BROADCAST_DRIVER=log
CACHE_DRIVER=file
QUEUE_CONNECTION=sync
SESSION_DRIVER=file
SESSION_LIFETIME=120

REDIS_HOST=127.0.0.1
REDIS_PASSWORD=null
REDIS_PORT=6379

MAIL_DRIVER=smtp
MAIL_HOST=smtp.mailtrap.io
MAIL_PORT=2525
MAIL_USERNAME=null
MAIL_PASSWORD=null
MAIL_ENCRYPTION=null

PUSHER_APP_ID=
PUSHER_APP_KEY=
PUSHER_APP_SECRET=
PUSHER_APP_CLUSTER=mt1

MIX_PUSHER_APP_KEY="${PUSHER_APP_KEY}"
MIX_PUSHER_APP_CLUSTER="${PUSHER_APP_CLUSTER}"

PAYROLL_BANKS=http://devpayrollplus.finpay.pk/public/apiV2/
UNEEB=UNEEB

now i am accessing them in my controller like

public function index(){
        echo env("UNEEB");
        exit();
        return view("stores.stores");
    }

i have performed a number of steps after adding value in my env

php artisan cache:clear
php artisan config:clear
php artisan route:clear
php artisan config:cache

but it still doesnt work, the funny part is i have another project on laravel 5.8 and it works fine over their, here is my composer.json and package.json in case something went wrong over their.

composer.json

{
    "name": "laravel/laravel",
    "type": "project",
    "description": "The Laravel Framework.",
    "keywords": [
        "framework",
        "laravel"
    ],
    "license": "MIT",
    "require": {
        "php": "^7.1.3",
        "awobaz/compoships": "^1.1",
        "aws/aws-sdk-php-laravel": "^3.3",
        "barryvdh/laravel-dompdf": "^0.8.3",
        "donatello-za/rake-php-plus": "^1.0",
        "fideloper/proxy": "^4.0",
        "genealabs/laravel-model-caching": "^0.3.6",
        "guzzlehttp/guzzle": "^6.3",
        "laravel/framework": "5.7.*",
        "laravel/telescope": "^1.0",
        "laravel/tinker": "^1.0",
        "maatwebsite/excel": "^3.1",
        "spatie/laravel-activitylog": "^3.1",
        "spatie/laravel-database-mail-templates": "^2.0",
        "spatie/laravel-fractal": "^5.4",
        "spatie/laravel-permission": "^2.29"
    },
    "require-dev": {
        "barryvdh/laravel-debugbar": "^3.2",
        "beyondcode/laravel-dump-server": "^1.0",
        "filp/whoops": "^2.0",
        "fzaninotto/faker": "^1.4",
        "mockery/mockery": "^1.0",
        "nunomaduro/collision": "^2.0",
        "phpunit/phpunit": "^7.0"
    },
    "config": {
        "optimize-autoloader": true,
        "preferred-install": "dist",
        "sort-packages": true
    },
    "extra": {
        "laravel": {
            "dont-discover": []
        }
    },
    "autoload": {
        "files": [
            "app/Helpers/GeneralHelper.php"
        ],
        "psr-4": {
            "App\\": "app/",
            "Model\\": "app/Models",
            "Report\\": "app/Reports",
            "Settlement\\": "app/Settlements",
            "Batch\\": "app/Batches"
        },
        "classmap": [
            "database/seeds",
            "database/factories"
        ]
    },
    "autoload-dev": {
        "psr-4": {
            "Tests\\": "tests/"
        }
    },
    "minimum-stability": "dev",
    "prefer-stable": true,
    "scripts": {
        "post-autoload-dump": [
            "Illuminate\\Foundation\\ComposerScripts::postAutoloadDump",
            "@php artisan package:discover --ansi"
        ],
        "post-root-package-install": [
            "@php -r \"file_exists('.env') || copy('.env.example', '.env');\""
        ],
        "post-create-project-cmd": [
            "@php artisan key:generate --ansi"
        ]
    }
}

Package.json

{
    "private": true,
    "scripts": {
        "dev": "npm run development",
        "development": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --progress --hide-modules --config=node_modules/laravel-mix/setup/webpack.config.js",
        "watch": "npm run development -- --watch",
        "watch-poll": "npm run watch -- --watch-poll",
        "hot": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development node_modules/webpack-dev-server/bin/webpack-dev-server.js --inline --hot --config=node_modules/laravel-mix/setup/webpack.config.js",
        "prod": "npm run production",
        "production": "cross-env NODE_ENV=production node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --no-progress --hide-modules --config=node_modules/laravel-mix/setup/webpack.config.js"
    },
    "devDependencies": {
        "axios": "^0.18",
        "cross-env": "^5.1",
        "laravel-mix": "^4.0.7",
        "lodash": "^4.17.5",
        "resolve-url-loader": "^2.3.1",
        "sass": "^1.15.2",
        "sass-loader": "^7.1.0",
        "vue-template-compiler": "^2.5.21",
        "webpack-cli": "^3.3.5"
    },
    "dependencies": {
        "@fortawesome/fontawesome-free": "^5.6.3",
        "bootstrap": "^4.2.1",
        "bootstrap-daterangepicker": "^3.0.3",
        "bootstrap-vue": "^2.0.0-rc.11",
        "css-loader": "^2.1.0",
        "datatables.net": "^1.10.19",
        "datatables.net-autofill-bs4": "^2.3.2",
        "datatables.net-bs": "^1.10.19",
        "datatables.net-bs4": "^1.10.19",
        "datatables.net-buttons-bs4": "^1.5.4",
        "datatables.net-colreorder-bs4": "^1.5.1",
        "datatables.net-fixedcolumns-bs4": "^3.2.6",
        "datatables.net-fixedheader-bs4": "^3.1.5",
        "datatables.net-keytable-bs4": "^2.5.0",
        "datatables.net-responsive-bs4": "^2.2.3",
        "datatables.net-rowgroup-bs4": "^1.1.0",
        "datatables.net-rowreorder-bs4": "^1.2.5",
        "datatables.net-scroller-bs4": "^1.5.1",
        "datatables.net-select-bs4": "^1.2.7",
        "fs": "0.0.1-security",
        "jquery": "^3.3.1",
        "jshint": "^2.10.2",
        "mdbootstrap": "^4.7.0",
        "moment": "^2.24.0",
        "nprogress": "^0.2.0",
        "popper.js": "^1.14.6",
        "vue": "^2.5.22",
        "vue-fullscreen": "^2.1.3",
        "vue-sweetalert2": "^2.1.0",
        "vue2-daterange-picker": "^0.1.6",
        "vuejs-datepicker": "^1.5.4"
    }
}

Answer 1

You are calling

 echo env("UNEEB")

while it is declared with 3 capital E's in your env file.

Answer 2

Make sure you have stopped the server once after new change in .env if you are using php artisan serve to load new changes.

Because default it run the configuration given at that time the server start.

So for loading each new changes from .env you must have to kill the process and re-run php artisan serve

Edited:

Also confirm, If there is any variable in .env contains spaces or special charectors make sure you have wrap them in double quotes.

Answer 3

Follow these steps

Add your constant to .env like
ADMIN_EMAIL=some@email.com

Add the same to your config/app.php
'admin_email' => env('ADMIN_EMAIL', 'default@email.com'),

Retrieve your value
{{config('app.admin_email')}}

Answer 4

Strange, those commands that you performed should've fixed your issue... Anyways, Laravel it's a bit sensitive with its .env file, so for your usage, I would change the approach of constants.

Laravel recommends only to use env() within the configuration files. Try use the config() helper in your code instead of env(). Move your constants into a new file and then you can call config('blah-blah-name') in your code.

Hope it will help.

LE: If you using php artisan serve, it might be the cause of your problem.