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Overview

Duit uses environment variables for sensitive configuration and application.properties for application settings. This approach keeps credentials secure and allows easy configuration across different environments.

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Environment Variables

1

Create .env file

Create a .env file in the root directory of your project:
touch .env
2

Add database configuration

Add your database credentials to the .env file:
.env
DB_URL=jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/duit
DB_USER=tu_usuario
DB_PASS=tu_contraseña
If you’re using a cloud PostgreSQL provider like Neon, your connection string will look different:
.env
DB_URL=jdbc:postgresql://ep-example-123456.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech:5432/duit?sslmode=require
DB_USER=your_neon_user
DB_PASS=your_neon_password
Make sure to include ?sslmode=require for secure connections.
3

Secure your .env file

Never commit your .env file to version control! Ensure it’s listed in .gitignore.
Verify .env is in your .gitignore:
.gitignore
.env

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Application Properties

The application.properties file contains non-sensitive application settings. Here are the key configurations:

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Database Configuration

The application uses environment variables for database connection:
src/main/resources/application.properties
# Database connection
spring.datasource.url=${DB_URL}
spring.datasource.username=${DB_USER}
spring.datasource.password=${DB_PASS}
spring.datasource.driver-class-name=org.postgresql.Driver

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Connection Pool Settings (HikariCP)

Duit uses HikariCP for efficient database connection pooling:
src/main/resources/application.properties
# HikariCP configuration (optimized for cloud databases like Neon)
spring.datasource.hikari.maximum-pool-size=20
spring.datasource.hikari.minimum-idle=5
spring.datasource.hikari.idle-timeout=300000
spring.datasource.hikari.max-lifetime=600000
spring.datasource.hikari.connection-timeout=30000
spring.datasource.hikari.validation-timeout=5000
spring.datasource.hikari.leak-detection-threshold=60000
These HikariCP settings are optimized for cloud databases with connection limits. Adjust them based on your database provider’s recommendations.

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JPA/Hibernate Configuration

src/main/resources/application.properties
# JPA/Hibernate settings
spring.jpa.hibernate.ddl-auto=update
spring.jpa.properties.hibernate.jdbc.time_zone=Europe/Madrid
spring.jpa.open-in-view=true
The spring.jpa.hibernate.ddl-auto=update setting automatically updates your database schema:
  • update: Updates schema without data loss (recommended for development)
  • create: Drops and recreates schema on startup (development only)
  • create-drop: Drops schema on shutdown (testing only)
  • validate: Validates schema without changes (production)
  • none: No schema management (production)
For production, consider using validate or none and managing schema changes with migration tools like Flyway or Liquibase.

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Server Configuration

src/main/resources/application.properties
# Server settings
server.port=8080
server.servlet.context-path=/
server.servlet.encoding.charset=UTF-8
server.servlet.encoding.enabled=true

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Session Configuration

src/main/resources/application.properties
# Session management
server.servlet.session.timeout=30m
server.servlet.session.cookie.max-age=1800

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Thymeleaf Configuration

src/main/resources/application.properties
# Thymeleaf template engine
spring.thymeleaf.cache=false
spring.thymeleaf.mode=HTML
spring.thymeleaf.encoding=UTF-8
spring.thymeleaf.cache=false disables template caching for development. Enable it in production for better performance.

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Error Handling Configuration

src/main/resources/application.properties
# Error handling (prevents information leakage)
server.error.whitelabel.enabled=false
server.error.include-message=never
server.error.include-binding-errors=never
server.error.include-stacktrace=never
These settings prevent sensitive error information from being exposed to users in production. Custom error pages handle 403, 404, and 500 errors.

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Security Settings

Duit uses Spring Security with the following features:
  • BCrypt password encryption: All passwords are hashed using BCrypt
  • Role-based access control: Routes are protected based on user roles
    • /admin/** - Administrator access only
    • /user/** - Regular users
    • /professional/** - Professional users
  • Custom error pages: 403 (Forbidden), 404 (Not Found), 500 (Server Error)
Security configuration is managed in Java code, not in application.properties. See the Security documentation for details.

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Development vs Production

# Enable detailed logging and disable caching for faster development
spring.jpa.show-sql=true
spring.jpa.properties.hibernate.format_sql=true
spring.thymeleaf.cache=false
spring.jpa.hibernate.ddl-auto=update

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Verify Configuration

After configuring your environment, test your setup: 
./mvnw spring-boot:run
If configuration is correct, you should see: 
Started DuitApplication in X.XXX seconds
And the application will be accessible at http://localhost:8080.

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Common Configuration Issues

Error: Connection refused or Authentication failedSolutions:
  • Verify PostgreSQL is running: pg_isready
  • Check database credentials in .env
  • Ensure database duit exists
  • For cloud databases, verify SSL settings and connection string
Error: Port 8080 is already in useSolution: Change the port in application.properties:
server.port=8081
Error: Variables show as ${DB_URL} in logsSolutions:
  • Ensure .env file is in the project root
  • Verify spring-dotenv dependency is in pom.xml
  • Restart your IDE/terminal after creating .env

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Next Steps

With your application configured, you’re ready to deploy! Proceed to the Deployment guide to run Duit locally or in production.

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