Why I got Unknown option "--env" error making tests?

Making tests ("phpunit/phpunit": "^9.5.10") for laravel ("laravel/framework": "^9.2") site I want to use .env.testing file

But I got error running command :

$ vendor/bin/phpunit tests/Feature/PagesCrudTest.php     --env=testing

Unknown option "--env"

Checking help I did not find any "env" issue mentioned:

$ vendor/bin/phpunit tests/Feature/PagesCrudTest.php  --help
...

My phpunit.xml :

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<phpunit xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="./vendor/phpunit/phpunit/phpunit.xsd"
         bootstrap="vendor/autoload.php"
         colors="true"
         printerClass="Sempro\PHPUnitPrettyPrinter\PrettyPrinterForPhpUnit9"
>
    <testsuites>
        <testsuite name="Pages CRUD tests">
            <directory suffix="Test.php">./tests/Feature</directory>
        </testsuite>
    </testsuites>
    <coverage processUncoveredFiles="true">
        <include>
            <directory suffix=".php">./app</directory>
        </include>
    </coverage>
    <php>
        <env name="APP_ENV" value="testing"/>
        <env name="BCRYPT_ROUNDS" value="4"/>
        <env name="CACHE_DRIVER" value="array"/>
        <env name="TELESCOPE_ENABLED" value="true"/>

        <!--         <env name="DB_CONNECTION" value="sqlite"/>-->
        <!--         <env name="DB_DATABASE" value=":memory:"/>-->
        <env name="MAIL_MAILER" value="array"/>
        <env name="QUEUE_CONNECTION" value="sync"/>
        <env name="SESSION_DRIVER" value="array"/>
        <env name="TELESCOPE_ENABLED" value="false"/>
    </php>
</phpunit>

In which way can I use .env.testing in my tests ?

Updated Info

I have in phpunit.xml line:

env name="APP_ENV" value="testing"

I suppose this file has valid structure/data

Running command

vendor/bin/phpunit tests/Feature/PagesCrudTest.php

I make checks of current database name using \DB::connection()->getDatabaseName() in the beginning of the tests and I see that is is from .env file.

So I try with option

tests --env=testing

I tried to fill option

--env=testing

manually to avoid misspeling when copypasting from browser - but I still got

Unknown option "--env"

error...

Updated Info # 2 after some test it looks like I need to clear config cache firstly :

php artisan config:clear
vendor/bin/phpunit tests/Feature/PagesCrudTest.php

and it works without any “--env=testing” option in command (I found this as possible decision in net). Not sure is it good decision. Now I work locally at my ubuntu 20.

But how can I run tests on live server ?

Updated Info # 3

If to run

php artisan config:clear

before tests I got error on any test in my file

...
12) Tests\Feature\PagesCrudTest::testGetFilteredOnlyIsHomepage
Illuminate\Contracts\Container\BindingResolutionException: Target class [env] does not exist.

ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Container/Container.php:877
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Container/Container.php:756
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php:857
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Container/Container.php:692
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php:842
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Container/Container.php:1415
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php:575
ProjectPath/app/Providers/TelescopeServiceProvider.php:24
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Collections/HigherOrderCollectionProxy.php:60
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Collections/HigherOrderCollectionProxy.php:60
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Collections/Traits/EnumeratesValues.php:299
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Collections/HigherOrderCollectionProxy.php:61
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/telescope/src/Telescope.php:326
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/telescope/src/Telescope.php:284
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/telescope/src/Telescope.php:333
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/telescope/src/Telescope.php:445
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/telescope/src/Watchers/LogWatcher.php:41
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Events/Dispatcher.php:421
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Events/Dispatcher.php:249
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Log/Logger.php:245
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Log/Logger.php:186
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Log/Logger.php:130
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Log/LogManager.php:677
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Support/Facades/Facade.php:338
ProjectPath/app/Providers/RouteServiceProvider.php:50
ProjectPath/app/Providers/RouteServiceProvider.php:29
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Container/BoundMethod.php:36
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Container/Util.php:41
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Container/BoundMethod.php:93
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Container/BoundMethod.php:37
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Container/Container.php:651
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php:930
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php:911
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php:912
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/BootProviders.php:17
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php:239
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/Kernel.php:310
ProjectPath/tests/CreatesApplication.php:18
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Testing/TestCase.php:110
ProjectPath/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Testing/TestCase.php:87
ProjectPath/tests/Feature/PagesCrudTest.php:25

ERRORS!
Tests: 12, Assertions: 0, Errors: 12.

But all the rests are running ok I suppose that it is related that that now .env.testing is used, but how can it be fixed?

Thanks in advance!

Solution

There's no need for --env=testing. The phpunit.xml already sets the APP_ENV to testing with <env name="APP_ENV" value="testing"/>

In addition, you may create a .env.testing file in the root of your project. This file will be used instead of the .env file when running PHPUnit tests or executing Artisan commands with the --env=testing option.

So it will be used by PHPUnit tests and you can use it with other artisan commands as well with --env=testing