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wheels get settings

Overview

The wheels get settings command displays the current Wheels application settings for your environment. It shows all configuration settings that are active, including defaults and any custom overrides from your configuration files. You can view all settings or filter to see specific ones.

Command Syntax

wheels get settings [settingName]

Parameters

Optional Parameters

  • settingName - Optional setting name or pattern to filter results. Can be a partial match.

Basic Usage Examples

Display All Settings

wheels get settings

Shows all active settings for the current environment

Filter Specific Setting

wheels get settings cacheQueries

Shows only the cacheQueries setting

Filter by Pattern

wheels get settings cache

Shows all settings containing "cache" in their name (e.g., cacheQueries, cachePages, cacheImages)

How It Works

Settings Resolution Order

The command resolves settings in the same order as Wheels:

  1. Default Wheels Settings - Built-in framework defaults

  2. Application Settings - From /config/settings.cfm

  3. Environment Settings - From /config/[environment]/settings.cfm

Each level overrides the previous one, with environment-specific settings having the highest priority.

Environment Detection

The command automatically detects the current environment using the same logic as wheels get environment:

  • Checks .env file for WHEELS_ENV

  • Checks system environment variable

  • Checks server.json

  • Defaults to development

Settings Parsing

The command parses set() function calls in your settings files:

// config/settings.cfm
set(dataSourceName="myapp_db");
set(cacheQueries=true);
set(errorEmailAddress="[email protected]");

Output Examples

All Settings Display

Wheels Settings (development environment):

allowConcurrentRequestScope:   false
cacheActions:                  false
cacheCullInterval:              5
cacheCullPercentage:            10
cacheDatabaseSchema:            false
cacheFileChecking:              false
cacheImages:                    false
cacheModelConfig:               false
cachePages:                     false
cachePartials:                  false
cacheQueries:                   false
cacheRoutes:                    false
dataSourceName:                 myapp_db
errorEmailAddress:              [email protected]
showDebugInformation:           true
showErrorInformation:           true
URLRewriting:                   partial

Total settings: 17

Filtered Settings Display

wheels get settings cache
Wheels Settings (development environment):

cacheActions:                   false
cacheCullInterval:              5
cacheCullPercentage:            10
cacheDatabaseSchema:            false
cacheFileChecking:              false
cacheImages:                    false
cacheModelConfig:               false
cachePages:                     false
cachePartials:                  false
cacheQueries:                   true
cacheRoutes:                    false

Total settings: 11

Single Setting Display

wheels get settings dataSourceName
Wheels Settings (production environment):

dataSourceName:                 production_db

Total settings: 1

No Matches Found

wheels get settings nonexistent
No settings found matching 'nonexistent'

Common Wheels Settings

Caching Settings

  • cacheActions - Cache action output

  • cacheQueries - Cache database query results

  • cachePages - Cache entire page output

  • cachePartials - Cache partial/template output

  • cacheImages - Cache generated images

  • cacheRoutes - Cache routing configuration

  • cacheModelConfig - Cache model configurations

  • cacheControllerConfig - Cache controller configurations

  • cacheViewConfig - Cache view configurations

  • cacheDatabaseSchema - Cache database schema information

  • cacheFileChecking - Check for file changes when caching

Database Settings

  • dataSourceName - Primary datasource name

  • useExpandedColumnAliases - Use expanded column aliases in queries

  • useTimestampsOnDeletedColumn - Add timestamps to soft-deleted records

  • migratorTableName - Table name for migration versions

Error Handling Settings

  • showDebugInformation - Display debug information

  • showErrorInformation - Display error details

  • sendEmailOnError - Send email notifications on errors

  • errorEmailAddress - Email address for error notifications

  • errorEmailServer - SMTP server for error emails

  • errorEmailSubject - Subject line for error emails

  • includeErrorInEmailSubject - Include error details in email subject

URL Settings

  • URLRewriting - URL rewriting mode (none, partial, full)

Plugin Settings

  • overwritePlugins - Allow plugin overwrites

  • deletePluginDirectories - Delete plugin directories on uninstall

  • loadIncompatiblePlugins - Load plugins with version mismatches

Common Use Cases

Development vs Production Comparison

# Check development settings
WHEELS_ENV=development wheels get settings cache

# Check production settings
WHEELS_ENV=production wheels get settings cache

Verify Database Configuration

wheels get settings dataSourceName

Check All Caching Settings

wheels get settings cache

Debugging Configuration Issues

# See all current settings
wheels get settings

# Check specific problematic setting
wheels get settings showDebugInformation

Pre-deployment Verification

# Verify production settings
WHEELS_ENV=production wheels get settings

Settings File Examples

Basic Application Settings

// config/settings.cfm
set(dataSourceName="myapp");
set(URLRewriting="partial");
set(errorEmailAddress="[email protected]");

Environment-Specific Settings

// config/production/settings.cfm
set(cacheQueries=true);
set(cachePages=true);
set(cachePartials=true);
set(showDebugInformation=false);
set(showErrorInformation=false);
set(sendEmailOnError=true);
// config/development/settings.cfm
set(cacheQueries=false);
set(showDebugInformation=true);
set(showErrorInformation=true);
set(sendEmailOnError=false);

Data Type Support

The command correctly interprets different data types:

Boolean Values

set(cacheQueries=true);
set(showDebugInformation=false);

Numeric Values

set(cacheCullInterval=5);
set(cacheCullPercentage=10);

String Values

set(dataSourceName="myapp_db");
set(errorEmailAddress="[email protected]");

Complex Values

Arrays and structs are displayed with summary information:

complexSetting:                 [array with 5 items]
structSetting:                  {3 items}

Error Handling

The command will show an error if:

  • Not run from a Wheels application directory

  • Settings files cannot be read

  • Settings files contain syntax errors

Not a Wheels Application

Error: This command must be run from a Wheels application directory

Read Error

Error reading settings: [specific error message]
Details: [additional error details if available]

Best Practices

  1. Environment-Specific Configs - Keep environment-specific settings in separate files (/config/[environment]/settings.cfm)

  2. Document Custom Settings - Comment your custom settings in the configuration files

  3. Use Consistent Naming - Follow Wheels naming conventions for custom settings

  4. Verify Before Deployment - Always check settings for the target environment before deploying

  5. Sensitive Data - Keep sensitive settings (API keys, passwords) in environment variables or .env files

Integration with Other Commands

Works well with other Wheels CLI commands:

# Check environment, then settings
wheels get environment
wheels get settings

# Verify cache settings before clearing cache
wheels get settings cache
wheels clear cache

# Check database settings before running migrations
wheels get settings dataSourceName
wheels db migrate

Tips

  • Setting names are case-insensitive when filtering

  • The filter matches any part of the setting name

  • Settings are displayed in alphabetical order

  • Boolean values display as true or false

  • Complex values (arrays, structs) show a summary

  • The command shows which environment's settings are being displayed

Troubleshooting

Settings Not Showing Expected Values

  1. Check which environment is active: wheels get environment

  2. Verify the settings file exists in the correct location

  3. Check for syntax errors in your settings files

  4. Ensure settings use the correct set() function syntax

Missing Settings

If expected settings are missing:

  • Verify they're defined using set() function

  • Check file paths: /config/settings.cfm and /config/[environment]/settings.cfm

  • Ensure no syntax errors prevent parsing

Filter Not Working

  • Remember the filter is case-insensitive

  • The filter matches any part of the setting name

  • Use more specific terms for precise filtering

Limitations

  • The command parses settings files statically and may not capture all dynamic settings

  • Complex CFML expressions in settings may not be fully evaluated

  • Settings defined outside of set() function calls may not be detected

  • Runtime settings modifications are not reflected

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