go-config

Convert env, YAML, JSON, TOML, and INI to and from Go map[string]any and structs. Multi-source inputs merge with deep map merge: nested maps combine, scalar leaves are last-write-wins, and slices default to replace (opt-in concat via WithSliceMerge). Keys are normalized with a configurable lower+alnum rule so sub-service, SUB_SERVICE, and SubService line up across formats. Built on go-viper/mapstructure/v2.

Architecture

flowchart TB
  Sources["Sources\nbytes reader file URL process env"]
  Parser["Parser\ngodotenv yaml json toml ini"]
  Norm["keymap.Walk\nNormalizer"]
  MergeOp["merge.DeepMerge"]
  Map["map string any"]
  MS["structconv\nmapstructure v2"]
  Struct["Go struct"]
  Sources --> Parser --> Norm --> MergeOp --> Map
  Map -->|Unmarshal| MS --> Struct
  Struct -->|Marshal| MS --> Map
  Map -->|WriteTo Marshal| Parser

Loading

Hero example

yamlCfg := yaml.New(yaml.WithURL("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/eSlider/mail-archive/refs/heads/master/docker-compose.yml"))
envCfg := env.New(
	env.WithFile(".default.env"), // lowest priority
	env.WithFile(".env"),
	env.WithCurrentEnvironment(), // highest priority — process env wins
)

var svc MyService
_ = yamlCfg.Unmarshal(&svc)
_ = envCfg.Unmarshal(&svc) // later sources override earlier scalar leaves; maps recurse

• Maps merge recursively (sub-trees are combined, not replaced wholesale).
• Scalar leaves: last-write-wins when you list sources lowest → highest priority.
• Slices: merge.Replace by default; use WithSliceMerge(merge.Concat) to append.

Runnable offline variant: see Example_hero_offline in example_hero_test.go.

Install

go get github.com/eslider/go-config
go install github.com/eslider/go-config/cmd/envc@latest

Quick start

1. Single YAML file

c := yaml.New(yaml.WithFile("config.yaml"))
var cfg AppConfig
if err := c.Unmarshal(&cfg); err != nil { /* ... */ }

2. JSON over HTTPS with a header

c := json.New(
	json.WithURL("https://api.example.com/v1/config.json"),
	json.WithHTTPHeader("Authorization", "Bearer "+token),
)
var cfg AppConfig
_ = c.Unmarshal(&cfg)

3. Cross-format conversion (YAML → JSON)

ctx := context.Background()
m, _ := yaml.New(yaml.WithFile("in.yaml")).Map(ctx)
b, _ := json.New().Marshal(m)
os.WriteFile("out.json", b, 0o644)

CLI: envc

Install the binary from Install (go install …/cmd/envc@latest). Every subcommand uses --from and --to with one of yaml, json, toml, ini, env. Snippets use bash so you can copy-paste; replace paths and URLs with yours.

Help and version

# Root usage (commands, short descriptions)
envc help

# Per-command flag reference (convert, merge, get)
envc convert -h
envc merge -h
envc get -h

# Version string, git commit, build date (release builds embed the tag; local go install → dev)
envc version

convert

One input → normalize keys → one output. Defaults: --input -, --output - (stdin / stdout).

# Helm-style values file → JSON on the terminal (redirect to a file if you prefer)
envc convert --from yaml --to json --input ./values.yaml --output -

# Teammate’s JSON app settings → YAML for a repo that only accepts YAML
envc convert --from json --to yaml --input ./settings.json --output ./settings.yaml

# Windows-style INI → JSON for a one-off jq filter
envc convert --from ini --to json --input ./odbc.ini --output ./odbc.json

# TOML (e.g. app / tool config) → YAML for a stack that only reads YAML
envc convert --from toml --to yaml --input ./config.toml --output ./config.yaml

# Remote YAML → materialize .env for `docker compose --env-file` or similar
envc convert --from yaml --to env \
  --input "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/org/stack/main/config.yaml" \
  --output ./.env.generated

# Tiny inline document → JSON (stdin is the pipe; same idea as --input -)
printf 'service:\n  name: api\n  port: 8443\n' | envc convert --from yaml --to json

merge

Several inputs in order: nested maps combine, scalar leaves last-write-wins, slices default to replace. Optional --output - (stdout).

# Docker Compose: base + override → single JSON for another tool in the pipeline
envc merge --from yaml --to json \
  ./docker-compose.base.yaml \
  ./docker-compose.override.yaml

# App config: shipped defaults, local overrides, generated secrets → one merged YAML artifact
envc merge --from yaml --to yaml \
  --output ./config.merged.yaml \
  ./config.defaults.yaml \
  ./config.local.yaml \
  ./config.secrets.yaml

# Hotfix on stdin, then merge with on-disk YAML (--from must match every input, including stdin)
cat ./patch-canary.yaml | envc merge --from yaml --to json - ./config.base.yaml ./config.prod.yaml

get

Print one scalar or JSON-encoded value. --path is dot-separated; each segment uses the same lower+alnum rules as the library (sub-service / SubService → subservice). Paths follow maps only (YAML lists are not walked by index here).

# Image line from docker-compose (good for scripts: stdout is just the value)
envc get --from yaml --path services.api.image ./docker-compose.yaml

# Nested string from an application config on disk
envc get --from yaml --path database.url ./config/app.yaml

# Same lookup, but YAML arrives from curl (positional "-" = read stdin to EOF)
curl -fsSL https://config.example.com/app.yaml | envc get --from yaml --path database.url -

Load YAML or INI into the current shell

--to env emits KEY=value (shell assignments, not export). Use set -a (allexport) so child processes inherit variables while you source. source <(…) requires bash. Only use with trusted input (same risk as any source).

# Stack defaults from YAML into the current shell session
set -a
source <(envc convert --from yaml --to env --input ./.env.defaults.yaml)
set +a

# Legacy INI (e.g. PHP) → env-style assignments in the shell
set -a
source <(envc convert --from ini --to env --input ./legacy.ini)
set +a

# TOML tool manifest or stack file → env in the shell
set -a
source <(envc convert --from toml --to env --input ./stack.toml)
set +a

# Inline YAML here-doc → env → source (CI or local; no intermediate file)
set -a
source <(cat <<'YAML' | envc convert --from yaml --to env
app:
  env: staging
  region: eu-west-1
YAML
)
set +a

Stdin, URLs, and EOF

# Explicit stdin redirect (reads until EOF)
envc convert --from yaml --to json --input - --output - <./service.yaml

# Default is stdin/stdout — safe when stdin is a pipe or file; on an interactive TTY with no
# pipe, the process waits for Ctrl-D, which looks like a "hang". Prefer --input path/URL in scripts.
printf 'k: v\n' | envc convert --from yaml --to json

# HTTPS GET with client timeout; full body is read into memory before convert
envc convert --from json --to yaml \
  --input "https://api.example.com/v1/config.json" \
  --output ./snapshot.yaml

API (format codecs)

Method	Description
New(opts...)	Construct codec
Map(ctx)	Merged map[string]any
Unmarshal(dst) / UnmarshalContext(ctx, dst)	Decode into struct (or map)
Marshal(src) / WriteTo(w, src)	Encode struct or map[string]any

Shared options (each subpackage): WithBytes, WithReader, WithFile, WithURL, WithHTTPHeader, WithHTTPClient, WithKeyNormalizer, WithSliceMerge, WithTrim, WithWeaklyTyped, WithTagName, WithDecodeHook.

env adds: WithCurrentEnvironment, WithPrefix.

Cross-format mapping

Go	YAML	ENV
Service.SubService.Name	service.sub-service.name	SERVICE_SUBSERVICE_NAME

INI uses dotted sections, e.g. [service.subservice] with name=....

TOML uses explicit tables, e.g. [service], [service.subservice], with name = "...".

Related libraries

Module	Role
go-matrix-bot	Matrix bots
go-onlyoffice	OnlyOffice API
go-ollama	Ollama client

Contributing

Testing expectations, local commands, commit message conventions, how release-please and GoReleaser publish tags and envc binaries, and architecture decisions (repo ASRs) are documented in CONTRIBUTING.md.

License

MIT © Andriy Oblivantsev