The .env.dev file is a configuration file often used in software development, particularly in environments that utilize environment variables for configuration management. Here are some key points about .env.dev:
.env.dev file is to store environment-specific settings or variables that should not be hardcoded into the application's source code. This includes API keys, database credentials, and other sensitive information which might change between development, staging, and production environments..env files originated from the need to manage configuration in different environments without altering the codebase. This practice became popular with the rise of DevOps practices and containerization where configuration management is crucial for consistency across different deployment stages. The .env.dev file specifically caters to development environments, allowing developers to keep their development settings separate from production or other environments..env file..env.dev files are generally not pushed to repositories due to the sensitive nature of their contents, they should be included in .gitignore or similar files to prevent accidental commits. Security best practices also recommend encrypting or securing these files if they contain highly sensitive information..env.dev file might look:
DB_HOST=localhost
DB_USER=dev_user
DB_PASS=dev_password
API_KEY=1234567890abcdef
DEBUG=true
These variables would then be accessed in the application code via environment variables, like process.env.DB_HOST in Node.js applications.Further reading and related concepts can be found at: