Re: ENV["RACK_ENV"] is not set on startup [rack/rack GH-11]

[Eric Wong <normalperson@yhbt.net>]

James Tucker <jftucker@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 1 Apr 2010, at 09:21, Matt Todd wrote:
> > I'm not a fan of --env/:env in general, specifically taking issue with
> > implicitly modifying the middleware stack.
> > 
> > Because of this, I'm actually quite happy with the fact that
> > ENV['RACK_ENV'] isn't set when --env/:env is set.
> > 
> > I'd much rather this feature go away and let handling environments be
> > left up to the user.
> > 
> > More specifically:
> > * --env/:env should default to "development"
> > * --env/:env should set ENV['RACK_ENV']
> > * --end/:env should have no other affect
> > * applications/frameworks should adjust their environments according
> > to ENV['RACK_ENV'] as they see fit
> > 
> > I'm aware that this is mostly done to ease development and lower the
> > barrier of entry, which I'm not opposed to doing, but I think there
> > are other, better ways we can explore such as a separate
> > feature/option, perhaps only in rackup, that can enable these
> > middleware.
> 
> Rackup wants a logger mostly. I'm actually wondering if rackup wants a
> logger in all environments (not --envs) apart from CGI. We're never
> going to please everyone on this front, but maybe we need a way for
> rackup to turn off the default logger middleware separately to the
> --env setting.
> 
> --env development also has one other significantly relevant action,
> and that is to add Rack::Lint to the middleware stack in order to
> validate conformance to http and rack specs. I feel this should stay,
> regardless of other changes.
> 
> I propose then, that we modify the logger middleware setup to be
> affected by another argument, and that --env development adds
> Rack::Lint, any other --env does not modify the middleware stack at
> all.

Yes.  Lint is special.  It is important for development and should be
easily toggleable between different environments.  Heck, I wouldn't mind
a version that adds Lint between every part of the middleware stack,
even.  That would of course be a pain to configure by hand.

> This should be compatible with Rails envs, and also satisfy Erics
> desires. We can also then deprecate the unusual "deployment"
> environment which seems to be unique to rack.

I prefer Matt's approach to not do any middleware changes to go with
RACK_ENV (except Lint, above).

Extra command-line options that try to do the same thing as editing
config.ru make things more confusing than necessary.  I was not happy
with Rails inventing their own middleware configuration, either.

If people want a request logger, they can configure Rack::CommonLogger,
Clogger or whatever else in config.ru.

-- 
Eric Wong


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