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wheels config dump

Overview

The wheels config dump command exports your CFWheels application configuration settings for inspection, backup, or migration purposes. It can display configurations in multiple formats and optionally mask sensitive values for security.

Basic Usage

wheels config dump

This displays the current environment's configuration in a formatted table in the console.

Command Syntax

wheels config dump [environment] [--format=<type>] [--output=<file>] [--noMask]

Arguments and Options

Positional Arguments

Argument
Required
Description
Default

environment

No

The environment to dump (development, testing, production)

Auto-detects from WHEELS_ENV or defaults to "development"

Options

Option
Description
Values
Default

--format=<type>

Output format for the configuration

table, json, env, cfml

Console: table File: json

--output=<file>

File path to save the configuration

Any valid file path

None (displays to console)

--noMask

Don't mask sensitive values (passwords, keys, tokens, etc.)

Flag (true/false)

false (sensitive values are masked)

Option Details

--format

Specifies the output format for the configuration dump:

  • table: Formatted tables organized by category (best for console viewing)

  • json: Structured JSON format (best for programmatic use and file storage)

  • env: Environment variables format (.env compatible)

  • cfml: CFWheels set() statements format

--output

When specified, saves the configuration to a file instead of displaying to console. If no format is explicitly specified with --output, JSON format is automatically used for better file compatibility.

--noMask

⚠️ Security Warning: This option exposes sensitive configuration data including passwords, API keys, and tokens. Only use when absolutely necessary and ensure the output is stored securely.

Output Formats

Table Format (Console Default)

Displays configuration in organized categories with formatted tables:

  • DATABASE Settings

  • CACHING Settings

  • SECURITY Settings

  • ENVIRONMENT Settings

  • OTHER Settings

JSON Format (File Default)

Exports configuration as structured JSON:

{
  "datasource": "myapp",
  "cacheQueries": false,
  "environment": "development",
  "_environment": {
    "WHEELS_ENV": "development"
  }
}

Environment Variables Format (.env)

Exports as environment variables compatible with .env files:

## Application Settings
DATASOURCE=myapp
CACHE_QUERIES=false
ENVIRONMENT=development

CFML Format

Exports as CFWheels set() statements:

// Wheels Configuration Export
set(datasource = "myapp");
set(cacheQueries = false);
set(environment = "development");

Common Use Cases

1. Quick Configuration Review

# View current configuration
wheels config dump

# View production configuration
wheels config dump production

2. Backup Configuration

# Backup as JSON (default for files)
wheels config dump --output=config-backup.json

# Backup with timestamp
wheels config dump --output="backup/config-$(date +%Y%m%d).json"

3. Environment Comparison

# Export different environments
wheels config dump development --output=dev-config.json
wheels config dump production --output=prod-config.json

# Then compare using diff tools
diff dev-config.json prod-config.json

4. Generate Environment Files

# Create .env file template
wheels config dump --format=env --output=.env.template

# Create environment-specific files
wheels config dump production --format=env --output=.env.production

5. Migration Between Servers

# Export from source server (masked)
wheels config dump --output=config-export.json

# Export with sensitive data (be careful!)
wheels config dump --noMask --output=config-complete.json

6. Generate CFML Settings

# Create settings file for another environment
wheels config dump --format=cfml --output=config/staging/settings.cfm

Security Considerations

Automatic Masking

By default, the command masks sensitive values containing these keywords:

  • password

  • secret

  • key

  • token

  • apikey / api_key

  • private

  • credential

  • auth

  • passphrase

  • salt

  • pwd

Masked values appear as: ***MASKED***

Using --noMask

Only use --noMask when:

  • You need complete configuration for migration

  • Output is being saved to a secure location

  • You're in a development environment

Never commit unmasked configuration files to version control!

Configuration Sources

The command loads configuration from multiple sources in order:

  1. Base Settings: /config/settings.cfm

  2. Environment Settings: /config/[environment]/settings.cfm

  3. Environment Variables: .env file (if exists)

Environment detection checks (in order):

  1. .env file: WHEELS_ENV variable

  2. System environment: WHEELS_ENV variable

  3. System environment: ENVIRONMENT variable

  4. Default: development

File Output Behavior

When using --output:

  • No format specified: Automatically uses JSON format

  • Format specified: Uses the specified format

  • Notification: Displays which format was used in the success message

# These save as JSON
wheels config dump --output=config.json
wheels config dump --output=settings.txt

# This saves as ENV format
wheels config dump --format=env --output=settings.env

# This explicitly saves as table format
wheels config dump --format=table --output=config.txt

Examples

Basic Examples

# View current configuration
wheels config dump

# View testing environment configuration
wheels config dump testing

# Export as JSON to console
wheels config dump --format=json

Advanced Examples

# Complete production backup (unmasked)
wheels config dump production --noMask --output=prod-complete.json

# Generate environment file for Docker
wheels config dump --format=env --output=docker/.env

# Create CFML settings for new environment
wheels config dump --format=cfml --output=config/custom/settings.cfm

# Quick masked backup with date
wheels config dump --output="backups/config-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).json"

Pipeline Integration

# CI/CD configuration validation
wheels config dump --format=json | jq '.datasource'

# Environment variable generation for deployment
wheels config dump production --format=env --output=/tmp/app.env

Troubleshooting

No settings.cfm file found

Error: "No settings.cfm file found in config directory" Solution: Ensure you're running the command from your CFWheels application root directory

Invalid format specified

Error: "Invalid format: [format]. Valid formats are: table, json, env, cfml" Solution: Use one of the supported formats: table, json, env, or cfml

File write permissions

Error: "Failed to write file" Solution: Ensure you have write permissions for the specified output directory

Environment not detected

Issue: Always shows "development" environment Solution: Set the WHEELS_ENV environment variable or create a .env file with WHEELS_ENV=production

Best Practices

  1. Regular Backups: Schedule regular configuration exports as part of your backup strategy

  2. Version Control: Store masked configuration exports in version control for tracking changes

  3. Environment Validation: Use dumps to verify configuration changes before deployment

  4. Security First: Always use masked output unless absolutely necessary

  5. Documentation: Keep exported configurations with deployment documentation

Support

For issues or questions about the wheels config dump command:

  1. Check the CFWheels documentation

  2. Verify your CFWheels and CommandBox versions are compatible

  3. Ensure proper file permissions and paths

  4. Review the command output for specific error messages

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