environmentsfrombaseenvlocalenvsecretsjson

Environmentsfrombaseenvlocalenvsecretsjson is a pattern used in software deployment to construct runtime environments by aggregating three sources: a base environment specification, optional local overrides, and a secrets configuration stored in JSON. It is not a formal standard but a naming convention used by teams to denote the merging process that yields a final set of environment variables for a given deployment.

Typically, a project maintains three files: base_env.json, local_env.json, and secrets.json. The base file defines default values for variables such as API endpoints, feature flags, and resource limits. The local file provides overrides for a particular developer, machine, or branch, allowing quick customization without altering the base configuration. The secrets JSON contains sensitive values like passwords or API keys. The usual merge order is base -> local -> secrets, with secrets taking precedence over local overrides, and locals over base. Some toolchains may support alternative strategies or omit certain sources.

Implementation usually involves a small loader that reads the three sources, merges them according to the chosen policy, and exposes the resulting dictionary as environment variables for the runtime or as a configuration map for orchestration platforms. Common use cases include setting environment variables for applications during local development, generating Docker Compose or Kubernetes manifests, or driving CI/CD pipelines.

Security and governance considerations are important: secrets should not be committed to version control, should be encrypted at rest, and access controlled; consider dedicated secret management systems and proper rotation policies. While the pattern is practical and widely applicable, it is implemented differently across tooling ecosystems and is not a universal standard.