Grails external configuration file - grails

Question

I started working with an existing Grails project and this is the part of the config file (Config.groovy) that deals with external configuration files:
grails.config.locations = [];
def defaultConfigFile = "${basedir}/configs/BombayConfig.groovy"
def defaultDatasourceFile = "${basedir}/configs/BombayDataSource.groovy"
if(File.separator == "\\") {
defaultConfigFile = defaultConfigFile.replace('/', '\\')
defaultDatasourceFile = defaultDatasourceFile.replace('/', '\\')
}
String PROJECT_NAME = "BOMBAY"
String CONFIG_ENV = "${PROJECT_NAME}_CONFIG_LOCATION"
String DATASOURCE_ENV = "${PROJECT_NAME}_DATASOURCE_LOCATION"
def externalConfig = System.getenv(CONFIG_ENV)
def externalDataSource = System.getenv(DATASOURCE_ENV)
if (externalConfig && new File(externalConfig).isFile()) {
grails.config.locations << "file:" + externalConfig
}
else {
grails.config.locations << "file:" + defaultConfigFile
}
if (externalDataSource && new File(externalDataSource).isFile()) {
grails.config.locations << "file:" + externalDataSource
}
else {
grails.config.locations << "file:" + defaultDatasourceFile
}
I have some default files in configs folder, but in the server the files that are being used reside in:
/home/someusername/configuration/
which doesn't look like the default path, and there are no environment variables pointing to that path as the configuration suggests.
I also tried to look for a configs folder linked to the other configuration folder, but didn't find anything.
I'm lost here; how else can configuration files be specified to Grails?
Edit:
To clarify on things, the server is running and works, I just want to figure out how it's picking up the configuration files from the above specified path.

Answer 1

I think the intention is that you use the grails.config.locations[] entry. The following is commented out in my Config.groovy
// grails.config.locations = [ "classpath:${appName}-config.properties",
// "classpath:${appName}-config.groovy",
// "file:${userHome}/.grails/${appName}-config.properties",
// "file:${userHome}/.grails/${appName}-config.groovy"]
So can't you specify something like this:
grails.config.locations = [ "file:${userHome}/configuration" ]
to pickup the files in that folder?

Answer 2

if(File.separator == "\\") {
defaultConfigFile = defaultConfigFile.replace('/', '\\')
defaultDatasourceFile = defaultDatasourceFile.replace('/', '\\')
}
This will probably cause problems - grails.config.locations is a list of URLs, not native file paths, so you definitely do want forward, not backward slashes. Instead try something like
File defaultConfigFile = new File(basedir, "configs/BombayConfig.groovy")
// and the same for datasource
// ...
File externalConfig = System.getenv(CONFIG_ENV) ? new File(System.getenv(CONFIG_ENV)) : null
if (externalConfig?.isFile()) {
grails.config.locations << externalConfig.toURI().toString()
}
else {
grails.config.locations << defaultConfigFile.toURI().toString()
}

Answer 3

In case you are struggling with external configs and you
have specifies external configs like so in Config.groovy
grails.config.locations = []
if(System.properties["${appName}.config.location"]) {
grails.config.locations << "file:" + System.properties["${appName}.config.location"]
}
if(System.properties["${appName}.datasource.config.location"]) {
grails.config.locations << "file:" + System.properties["${appName}.datasource.config.location"]
}
and your set environment is something like this
export GRAILS_OPTS="$GRAILS_OPTS -DAppName.config.location=dev-config/Config.groovy"
export GRAILS_OPTS="$GRAILS_OPTS -DAppName.datasource.config.location=dev-config/DataSource.groovy"
and dev configs are not being picked up, then you need to look into your fork settings in BuildConfig.groovy and turn them off like so
grails.project.fork = [
test: false,
run: false,
]
This way, when application is forked, your system properties will not be lost.