Guide families Format Comparisons Best Format Guides Best Format for Convert Guides
Use-case recommendation

Best Format for Runtime Environment Overrides

ENV files are the default for runtime variable injection.

Open Samples Open Manifest
Recommendation

Define the default first.

ENV

ENV is directly aligned with container and process-level runtime settings.

application/octet-stream

Open Samples Open Hub

INI

Use INI where section-based structure is required.

Files: 9

Samples Hub

CFG

Use CFG when app-specific parsers define custom behavior.

Files: 6

Samples Hub
Related decisions

Keep adjacent decisions one step away.

INI vs ENV Files CFG vs ENV Files Best Config Format for Application Settings How to Convert CFG to ENV
FAQ

Resolve the likely objections early.

What is the default format recommendation for this use case?

ENV is the recommended default format here.

How should teams validate this recommendation?

Use sample files and manifest endpoints to test compatibility and behavior before rollout.