.env.development Updated ⭐ Fast
In backend environments, all variables loaded from .env.development are attached directly to the global process.env object. You can access them anywhere in your backend code. javascript
DATABASE_NAME=my_app_prod LOG_LEVEL=error
Most modern build tools and frameworks (like Vite, Next.js, Create React App, and Nuxt) look for multiple .env files and load them according to a specific hierarchy or priority order.
.env.local : A local override file. It overrides values in all environments except testing. It is never committed to version control. .env.development
PORT=3000 DATABASE_URL=mongodb://localhost:27017/my_dev_db API_SECRET=dev_mock_key_123 DEBUG=true Use code with caution. Troubleshooting Common Issues
: Use your development-only database URLs (e.g., mongodb://localhost:27017/dev_db ) and sandbox API keys.
: Ensure frontend variables use the correct framework prefix (e.g., VITE_ or NEXT_PUBLIC_ ). In backend environments, all variables loaded from
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DB_HOST=localhost DB_PORT=5432 DB_NAME=myapp_dev_db DB_USER=dev_user DB_PASSWORD=dev_password_123 # --- THIRD-PARTY INTEGRATIONS (TEST KEYS) ---
: The default fallback file loaded in all environments unless overridden. What do I do?"
Using a specific .env.development file ensures that your local environment settings do not conflict with or accidentally overwrite staging or production settings. It promotes a clean separation of configuration [Believemy, 2024]. Core Purposes and Benefits 1. Security and Privacy
Variables prefixed with framework patterns (like REACT_APP_ ) are bundled into frontend JavaScript.
Variables explicitly set in the terminal command line (e.g., PORT=4000 npm run dev ) always take absolute precedence.
# Loaded in Vite development mode VITE_API_URL="http://localhost:8080/api" SECRET_BACKEND_KEY="supersecret" # Not accessible in the browser Use code with caution. In your frontend code, access the variable via: javascript const apiUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_API_URL; Use code with caution. 3. Next.js
"I accidentally committed secret keys to Git. What do I do?"