feat(cli): env-scoped overlays — --env merges picloud.<env>.toml

The §4.1 base+overlay model for the single-app world: a base `picloud.toml`
holds the shared scripts/routes/triggers; a sparse `picloud.<env>.toml`
carries the per-environment slug (+ extra secret names). `pic plan/apply
--env <E>` merges the overlay onto the base before diffing/applying, so an
environment deploys to its own app ("an environment is an app", §2)
without duplicating the shared definitions.

Merge is sparse: overlay `app.slug`/`name` replace the base's; secret
names union. Scripts/routes/triggers always come from the base. Rich
per-key `vars` resolution stays Phase 3.

Tested: unit tests for the merge + overlay-path derivation; a journey
proving `apply --env staging` deploys to the staging app and leaves the
base app untouched.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

crates/picloud-cli/src/cmds/apply.rs

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ use crate::output::{KvBlock, OutputMode};
 
 pub async fn run(
     manifest_path: &Path,
+    env: Option<&str>,
     prune: bool,
     yes: bool,
     force: bool,
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ pub async fn run(
     let creds = config::resolve()?;
     let client = Client::from_creds(&creds)?;
 
-    let manifest = Manifest::load(manifest_path)?;
+    let manifest = Manifest::load_with_env(manifest_path, env)?;
     let base_dir = manifest_path.parent().unwrap_or_else(|| Path::new("."));
     let bundle = build_bundle(&manifest, base_dir)?;
 

crates/picloud-cli/src/cmds/plan.rs

@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@ use crate::config;
 use crate::manifest::Manifest;
 use crate::output::{OutputMode, Table};
 
-pub async fn run(manifest_path: &Path, mode: OutputMode) -> Result<()> {
+pub async fn run(manifest_path: &Path, env: Option<&str>, mode: OutputMode) -> Result<()> {
     let creds = config::resolve()?;
     let client = Client::from_creds(&creds)?;
 
-    let manifest = Manifest::load(manifest_path)?;
+    let manifest = Manifest::load_with_env(manifest_path, env)?;
     let base_dir = manifest_path.parent().unwrap_or_else(|| Path::new("."));
     let bundle = build_bundle(&manifest, base_dir)?;
 

crates/picloud-cli/src/main.rs

@@ -200,6 +200,10 @@ struct ApplyArgs {
     /// since the last `pic plan`).
     #[arg(long)]
     force: bool,
+    /// Merge the `picloud.<env>.toml` overlay (per-env slug + secrets) on
+    /// top of the base manifest before applying.
+    #[arg(long)]
+    env: Option<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Args)]
@@ -207,6 +211,10 @@ struct PlanArgs {
     /// Path to the manifest.
     #[arg(long, default_value = "picloud.toml")]
     file: PathBuf,
+    /// Merge the `picloud.<env>.toml` overlay (per-env slug + secrets) on
+    /// top of the base manifest before diffing.
+    #[arg(long)]
+    env: Option<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Args)]
@@ -1132,9 +1140,17 @@ async fn main() -> ExitCode {
         Cmd::Logout => cmds::logout::run().await,
         Cmd::Whoami => cmds::whoami::run(mode).await,
         Cmd::Apply(args) => {
-            cmds::apply::run(&args.file, args.prune, args.yes, args.force, mode).await
+            cmds::apply::run(
+                &args.file,
+                args.env.as_deref(),
+                args.prune,
+                args.yes,
+                args.force,
+                mode,
+            )
+            .await
         }
-        Cmd::Plan(args) => cmds::plan::run(&args.file, mode).await,
+        Cmd::Plan(args) => cmds::plan::run(&args.file, args.env.as_deref(), mode).await,
         Cmd::Pull(args) => cmds::pull::run(&args.app, &args.dir, mode).await,
         Cmd::Config(args) => cmds::config::run(&args.file, args.effective, mode).await,
         Cmd::Init(args) => cmds::init::run(

crates/picloud-cli/src/manifest.rs

@@ -58,6 +58,74 @@ impl Manifest {
     pub fn to_toml(&self) -> Result<String> {
         toml::to_string_pretty(self).context("serializing manifest TOML")
     }
+
+    /// Load the base manifest, then (if `env` is set) merge the sparse
+    /// `picloud.<env>.toml` overlay on top — the §4.1 base+overlay model
+    /// where "an environment is an app". The overlay carries per-env slug +
+    /// secrets; scripts/routes/triggers stay in the shared base. (Rich
+    /// per-key `vars` resolution is Phase 3.)
+    pub fn load_with_env(base_path: &Path, env: Option<&str>) -> Result<Self> {
+        let mut base = Self::load(base_path)?;
+        if let Some(env) = env {
+            let path = overlay_path(base_path, env);
+            let body = fs::read_to_string(&path).with_context(|| {
+                format!(
+                    "reading overlay {} for env `{env}` (expected next to the base manifest)",
+                    path.display()
+                )
+            })?;
+            let overlay: ManifestOverlay = toml::from_str(&body)
+                .with_context(|| format!("parsing overlay {}", path.display()))?;
+            base.apply_overlay(overlay);
+        }
+        Ok(base)
+    }
+
+    /// Merge a sparse overlay onto this manifest: overlay `app.slug`/`name`
+    /// replace the base's; overlay secret names union into the base set.
+    fn apply_overlay(&mut self, overlay: ManifestOverlay) {
+        if let Some(slug) = overlay.app.slug {
+            self.app.slug = slug;
+        }
+        if let Some(name) = overlay.app.name {
+            self.app.name = name;
+        }
+        for n in overlay.secrets.names {
+            if !self.secrets.names.contains(&n) {
+                self.secrets.names.push(n);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// `picloud.toml` → `picloud.<env>.toml`, alongside the base (works for a
+/// custom `--file` too: `custom.toml` → `custom.<env>.toml`).
+fn overlay_path(base_path: &Path, env: &str) -> std::path::PathBuf {
+    let parent = base_path.parent().unwrap_or_else(|| Path::new("."));
+    let name = base_path
+        .file_name()
+        .map(|n| n.to_string_lossy().into_owned())
+        .unwrap_or_else(|| MANIFEST_FILE.to_string());
+    let stem = name.strip_suffix(".toml").unwrap_or(&name);
+    parent.join(format!("{stem}.{env}.toml"))
+}
+
+/// A sparse per-environment overlay (`picloud.<env>.toml`). Only the fields
+/// that vary per environment today — slug/name and secret names.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Default, Deserialize)]
+pub struct ManifestOverlay {
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub app: OverlayApp,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub secrets: ManifestSecrets,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Default, Deserialize)]
+pub struct OverlayApp {
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub slug: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub name: Option<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
@@ -371,6 +439,40 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn overlay_merges_slug_and_unions_secrets() {
+        let mut m = sample(); // slug "blog", secrets ["STRIPE_KEY"]
+        let overlay: ManifestOverlay = toml::from_str(
+            "[app]\nslug = \"blog-staging\"\n\n[secrets]\nnames = [\"STRIPE_KEY\", \"STAGING_ONLY\"]\n",
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        m.apply_overlay(overlay);
+        assert_eq!(m.app.slug, "blog-staging", "overlay slug wins");
+        assert_eq!(
+            m.app.name, "My Blog",
+            "base name kept when overlay omits it"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            m.secrets.names,
+            vec!["STRIPE_KEY".to_string(), "STAGING_ONLY".to_string()],
+            "secrets union, no dupes"
+        );
+        // Scripts/routes come from the base, untouched by the overlay.
+        assert_eq!(m.scripts.len(), 2);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn overlay_path_derivation() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            overlay_path(Path::new("proj/picloud.toml"), "staging"),
+            Path::new("proj/picloud.staging.toml")
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            overlay_path(Path::new("custom.toml"), "prod"),
+            Path::new("custom.prod.toml")
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn empty_optional_sections_omitted() {
         let m = Manifest {

crates/picloud-cli/tests/cli.rs

@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ mod config;
 mod dead_letters;
 mod email_queue;
 mod enabled;
+mod env_overlay;
 mod init;
 mod invoke;
 mod logs;

crates/picloud-cli/tests/env_overlay.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+//! Env-scoped overlays (§4.1): `pic apply --env <E>` merges the sparse
+//! `picloud.<env>.toml` (per-env slug) onto the base and deploys to that
+//! environment's app — leaving the base app untouched.
+
+use std::fs;
+
+use tempfile::TempDir;
+
+use crate::common;
+use crate::common::cleanup::AppGuard;
+
+fn scripts_ls(env: &common::TestEnv, slug: &str) -> String {
+    String::from_utf8(
+        common::pic_as(env)
+            .args(["scripts", "ls", "--app", slug])
+            .output()
+            .unwrap()
+            .stdout,
+    )
+    .unwrap()
+}
+
+#[ignore = "needs DATABASE_URL pointing at a running Postgres"]
+#[test]
+fn apply_env_overlay_targets_the_env_app() {
+    let Some(fx) = common::fixture_or_skip() else {
+        return;
+    };
+    let env = common::admin_env(fx);
+    let base_slug = common::unique_slug("ovl");
+    let staging_slug = format!("{base_slug}-staging");
+    for s in [&base_slug, &staging_slug] {
+        common::pic_as(&env)
+            .args(["apps", "create", s])
+            .assert()
+            .success();
+    }
+    let _g1 = AppGuard::new(&env.url, &env.token, &base_slug);
+    let _g2 = AppGuard::new(&env.url, &env.token, &staging_slug);
+
+    let dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    fs::create_dir_all(dir.path().join("scripts")).unwrap();
+    fs::write(dir.path().join("scripts/hello.rhai"), "\"hi\"").unwrap();
+    let base = dir.path().join("picloud.toml");
+    fs::write(
+        &base,
+        format!(
+            "[app]\nslug = \"{base_slug}\"\nname = \"Ovl\"\n\n\
+             [[scripts]]\nname = \"hello\"\nfile = \"scripts/hello.rhai\"\n"
+        ),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    // Overlay redirects to the staging app.
+    fs::write(
+        dir.path().join("picloud.staging.toml"),
+        format!("[app]\nslug = \"{staging_slug}\"\n"),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+
+    // Apply to staging only.
+    common::pic_as(&env)
+        .args(["apply", "--file"])
+        .arg(&base)
+        .args(["--env", "staging"])
+        .assert()
+        .success();
+
+    assert!(
+        scripts_ls(&env, &staging_slug).contains("hello"),
+        "overlay apply must deploy to the staging app"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        !scripts_ls(&env, &base_slug).contains("hello"),
+        "the base app must be untouched by an --env apply"
+    );
+}