What does .dist used as an extension of some source code file mean?

naming-conventions naming
AsTeR picture AsTeR · May 30, 2013 · Viewed 17.8k times · Source

Examples in the Zend tutorial:

  • phpunit.xml.dist
  • local.php.dist
  • TestConfig.php.dist

Answer

SeMeKh picture SeMeKh · May 30, 2013

.dist files are often configuration files which do not contain the real-world deploy-specific parameters (e.g. Database Passwords, etc.), and are there to help you get started with the application/framework faster. So, to get started with such frameworks, you should remove the .dist extension, and customize your configuration file with your personal parameters.

One purpose I have seen in using .dist extension, is to avoid publishing personal data on VCSs (say git). So, you, as the developer of a reusable app, would use your own configuration file, but put the de-facto get-started config data in a separate .dist-suffixed file. (See Symfony2's documentation, 4th part)

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