Defining configuration loading preferences in Magento

Magento uses a layered approach to load configuration values, with each layer able to override settings from the previous layers.

Precendence

Magento loads configuration in this specific order, from lowest to highest precedence:

1. Module **config.xml** files - The baseline defaults defined by modules

2. Database configuration - Values stored in the core_config_data table

3. app/etc/config.php - Shared configuration values

4. app/etc/env.php - Environment-specific configuration

5. Environment variables - System-level configuration settings

This hierarchy gives yo...