Http client and cURL ignores app_env during tests

[AlexKreatos]

Laravel Version

11.38.2

PHP Version

8.2.26

Database Driver & Version

No response

Description

I have a laravel API. I am trying to call itself using cURL or the Http client.
For context I have two databases. A normal one and a testing one. Both have their respective .env files to connect to the correct one.
To authenticate you need to request an init token using a store_id and an api_token. Both databases have a stores table that are identical except for the api_token fields.

My phpunit.xml file has the <env name="APP_ENV" value="testing"/> line and I run the command with php artisan test --testsuite=Unit --env=testing

Example of normal call

namespace Tests\Unit;

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;
use Tests\TestCase;

class EmployeeTest extends TestCase
{
    public function employee_getEmployees_success()
    {
        $response = $this->get('http://localhost:8000/' . 'api/v1/stores/init?api_token=api_key_to_test_db&id=1351');
        dump($response->json());
    }
}

This returns the expected response with the correct init token to make other calls. However when I try to make the same call using cURL or the Http client

public function employee_getEmployees_success()
    {
        $response = Http::withHeaders([
            'Accept' => 'application/json',
        ])->get('http://localhost:8000/' . 'api/v1/stores/init', [
            'api_token' => 'api_key_to_test_db',
            'id' => '1351',
        ]);
        dump($response->json());
    }

this returns a stack trace with "message" => "Invalid api token". When I switch the api key from the testing database to the normal one I get the expected response. Dumping env('DB_DATABASE'), DB::connection()->getDatabaseName() and config('database.connections.' . config('database.default') . '.database') in the same test all return the testing database. This tells me the tests/application recognizes the correct .env.testing file but the Http client or cURL ignores it and uses the default .env file. I have cleared all caches.

Im pretty sure this has worked in the past since all my previous tests used cURL to connect to the api (itself) and they all passed. I am not sure if I am getting late onset schizophrenia at this point.

Steps To Reproduce

1. Create a database for testing with different data
2. Create a seperate .env.testing file to connect to the testing database
3. Point phpunit to the testing database during tests
4. Create a test using the build in $this->get()
5. Create the same test using the Http client or cURL instead
6. Running these two tests will return different data

[crynobone]

When you call http://localhost:8000/ this would make a HTTP request to a separate web server (artisan serve, Valet, Herd, Sail etc) and that instance isn't using testing as APP_ENV. I don't see any way around this limitation. If we allow sending testing environment and expect http://localhost:8000 to use that environment then that is a huge security risk.

[AlexKreatos]

I don't think I fully understand what you mean. localhost:8000 is the project itself where the .env.testing is located. If the normal .env works just fine than why would .env.testing be a security risk? If $this->get() works and returns the expected result than why doesnt a http call work? I am very certain this has worked in the past without issues.