envbuddy v1.0.1

EnvBuddy.js

EnvBuddy.js is an npm package designed to make managing environment variables simple and efficient. Switch between different .env files, validate environment variables, back up your current .env, and roll back to previous versions seamlessly. Perfect for developers working across multiple environments like development, staging, and production.

Features

• Switch Between Environments: Easily switch your .env file between predefined configurations.
• Automatic Backup Creation: Back up your current .env file before switching, stored in a history folder.
• Environment Validation: Validate your .env file against an example template (.env.example) to ensure all required variables are present.
• List and Rollback History: View available backups and roll back to a previous version if needed.
• CLI Tool: Simple and intuitive CLI commands for managing environment files.

Installation

To install EnvBuddy.js globally, run:

npm install -g envbuddy

Or, use npx for one-time usage:

npx envbuddy <command>

Commands Overview

1. Switch to a Specific Environment

Description: Switches the current .env file to a specified environment (e.g., .env.dev, .env.staging, .env.prod).

Usage:

envbuddy switch <envName>

Example:

envbuddy switch dev

What it Does:

• Creates a timestamped backup of the current .env file in the history folder.
• Replaces the current .env file with the contents of .env.dev.

2. Validate Environment Variables

Description: Validates the current .env file against .env.example to ensure all required variables are present.

Usage:

envbuddy validate

Example Output: Warning: The following keys are missing from the .env file:

• API_SECRET
• DB_PORT

Validation completed. Missing keys found.

3. Backup the Current .env

Description: Creates a backup of the current .env file with a timestamp.

Usage:

envbuddy backup

Example Output: Backup created at /path/to/project/history/.env.backup-2024-11-03T14-30-05-000Z

4. List Available Backups

Description: Lists all the backups available in the history folder.

Usage:

envbuddy history

Example Output: Available backups:

• .env.backup-2024-11-03T14-30-05-000Z
• .env.backup-2024-11-02T16-45-22-000Z
• .env.backup-2024-11-01T10-12-11-000Z

5. Rollback to a Previous Backup

Description: Restores the current .env file to a specified backup version.

Usage:

envbuddy rollback <backupFileName>

Example: envbuddy rollback .env.backup-2024-11-03T14-30-05-000Z

What it Does:

• Replaces the current .env file with the contents of the specified backup.

Setup and Configuration

Requirements

• Node.js version 12.x or higher.
• Ensure you have the necessary permissions to create and modify files in your project directory.

Directory Structure

Ensure your project has the following structure:

Example Workflow

1. Switch to Development Environment: envbuddy switch dev The current .env file is backed up, and .env.dev is copied to .env.

2. Validate Environment Variables: envbuddy validate Checks if all keys in .env.example are present in .env.

3. List Backups: envbuddy history Shows all backups stored in the history folder.

4. Rollback to a Previous Version: envbuddy rollback .env.backup-2024-11-03T14-30-05-000Z Restores .env to the selected backup version.

Advanced Features

• Automatic Backups: Every time you run switch, EnvBuddy creates a backup of the current .env file.
• Cross-Environment Syncing: Future updates may include the ability to sync and merge common variables across different .env files.
• Interactive CLI: Potential addition to allow users to interact with the CLI in a guided, menu-driven way.

Troubleshooting

• Command Not Recognized: Ensure EnvBuddy.js is installed globally (npm install -g envbuddy).
• Script Execution Policy (Windows): If you encounter issues with running scripts, use npx envbuddy to bypass restrictions.

Contribution

We welcome contributions! Please fork the repository, make changes, and submit a pull request. For any major changes, please open an issue first to discuss what you would like to change.