Why dotenv just works on development?

[nghiepdev]

Hi,

I have created a .env file, but it just works on development.

[jasonkuhrt]

Hey @nghiepit can you share a bit more about what you were expecting that didn't work?

For example, would you like an .env.production file that is loaded when NODE_ENV=production?

[nghiepdev]

In the root project, I have created a .env

APP_API_URL=https://domain.com/api

But, In development, I can use it with process.env.APP_API_URL, but production isn't.

[jasonkuhrt]

Please open a feature request 🙏 , looks like low hanging fruit, might be able to tackle soon.

[MarianoKovac]

It sounds like you're encountering a common issue with dotenv files. The .env file typically works in development because it's loaded by your development environment, which is configured to automatically read and apply environment variables. However, in production, this might not be the case unless you've specifically set it up.

In many frameworks or environments, such as Node.js with dotenv, the .env file needs to be explicitly loaded in production. This is usually done through a configuration step in your production environment, where you either manually load the .env file or use a service like Docker or a cloud platform that reads and sets environment variables. Johnnie Kash Kings https://johnnie-kash-kings.net/ matches your deposit with an exclusive bonus offer.

If you’re using something like process.env in Node.js, make sure that in production, you're either using a similar tool or explicitly loading the .env variables using dotenv.config() or an equivalent command in your production configuration.

Also, ensure that your deployment process doesn’t overwrite or ignore the .env file, as some platforms may require environment variables to be set in a different manner (like through their web console or CLI).