nodejs-env-loader v1.0.4

nodejs-env-loader

nodejs-env-loader is a Node.js utility that simplifies the loading of environment variables from a .env file into your application's process.env. This approach enhances the management of configuration settings, especially secrets, without hardcoding them into your source code.

Features

• Secure Loading: Ensures that environment variables are loaded without overwriting critical system variables.
• Customizable: Allows specifying custom paths, encoding, and override options.
• Safe File Access: Prevents loading files outside the current working directory to maintain security.
• Cross-Platform Support: Handles different newline formats (Windows, Unix) seamlessly.

Installation

From npm

To install the package from npm, run:

npm install nodejs-env-loader

Using Different Package Managers

yarn (Fast, reliable, and secure dependency management)

yarn add nodejs-env-loader

pnpm (Efficient package manager with disk space optimization)

pnpm add nodejs-env-loader

bun (Modern JavaScript runtime with built-in package manager)

bun add nodejs-env-loader

Local Installation

If you prefer to install it locally:

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/CodeItAftab/nodejs-env-loader.git

2. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd nodejs-env-loader

3. Install the dependencies:

   npm install

4. Link the package globally for local testing:

   npm link

5. Use the package in another local project:

   cd ../your-project
   npm link nodejs-env-loader

Usage

1. Create a .env File: In the root of your project, create a .env file containing your environment variables:

   # .env
   DATABASE_URL=your-database-url
   API_KEY=your-api-key
   PORT=3000
   DEBUG_MODE=true

2. Load Environment Variables: In your application entry point (e.g., index.js), load the environment variables using nodejs-env-loader:

   const { load } = require('nodejs-env-loader');
   
   const result = load();
   
   if (result.error) {
     console.error('Error loading .env file:', result.error);
   } else {
     console.log('Environment variables loaded:', result.parsed);
   }
   
   // Now you can access your environment variables via process.env
   console.log('Database URL:', process.env.DATABASE_URL);

API

load(options)

Loads environment variables from a specified .env file into process.env.

Parameters

Returns

Example

const { load } = require('nodejs-env-loader');

const result = load({ path: './config/.env', override: true });

if (result.error) {
  console.error('Error loading .env file:', result.error);
} else {
  console.log('Environment variables loaded:', result.parsed);
}

Important Notes

• Protected Environment Variables: The loader prevents overwriting critical system environment variables such as PATH, HOME, USER, etc., unless explicitly allowed via the override option.
• File Security: To maintain security, the loader restricts loading .env files outside the current working directory.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Automatically normalizes line endings for different operating systems.

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Follow these steps to contribute:

1. Fork the Repository: Click the "Fork" button on the repository page.
2. Clone Your Fork:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/nodejs-env-loader.git

3. Create a Branch:

   git checkout -b my-feature-branch

4. Make Changes & Commit:

   git add .
   git commit -m "Add new feature"

5. Push to Your Fork:

   git push origin my-feature-branch

6. Create a Pull Request: Go to the original repository on GitHub and open a pull request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

For more information, visit the GitHub repository.