How do I setup the dotenv file in Node.js?

Question

I am trying to use the dotenv NPM package and it is not working for me. I have a file config/config.js with the following content:

Answer 1

If you use "firebase-functions" to host your sever-side-rendered application, you should be aware of this one:

error: Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, open 'C:\Codes\url_shortener\functions\.env'

Means you have to store the .env file in the functions folder as well.

Found this one by:

console.log(require('dotenv').config())

Answer 2

In my case, every time I tried to get a key from the .env file using process.env.MY_KEY, it returned undefined.

I suffered from this problem for two hours just because I named the file something like keys.env which is not considered to be a .env file.

So here is the troubleshooting list:

1. The filename should be .env (I believe .env.test is also acceptable).

2. Make sure you are requiring it as early as possible in your application using this statement require('dotenv').config();

3. The .env file should be in the root directory of your project.

4. Follow the "file writing rules" like DB_HOST=localhost, no need to wrap values in double/single quotes.

Also, check the documentation of the package on the NPM site.

Answer 3

Had the same issue recently. Check your .env file and use equal sign not colon. Here's an example:

key=value

instead of:

key:value

Answer 4

i didn't put my environment variables in the right format as was in the dotenv module documentation e.g. i was doing export TWILIO_CALLER_ID="+wwehehe" and so the dotenv module wasn't parsing my file correctly. When i noticed that i removed the export keyword from the declarations and everything worked fine.

Answer 5

Save yourself some troubleshooting time and log your require call, like so:

console.log(require('dotenv').config())

You should see an error with more detailed info on the problem.

Answer 6

My code structure using is as shown below

-.env
-app.js
-build
-src
   |-modules
        |-users
            |-controller
                  |-userController.js

I have required .env at the top of my app.js

require('dotenv').config();
import express = require('express');
import bodyParser from 'body-parser';
import mongoose = require('mongoose');

The process.env.PORT works in my app.listen function. However, on my userController file not sure how this is happening but my problem was I was getting the secretKey value and type as string when I checked using console.log() but getting undefined when trying it on jwt.sign() e.g.

console.log('Type: '+ process.env.ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET)
console.log(process.env.ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET)

Result:

string
secret

jwt.sign giving error

let accessToken = jwt.sign(userObj, process.env.ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET); //not working 

Error was

    Argument of type 'string | undefined' is not assignable to parameter of type 'Secret'.
  Type 'undefined' is not assignable to type 'Secret'.

My Solution: After reading the documentation. I required the env again in my file( which I probably should have in the first place ) and saved it to variable 'environment'

let environment = require('dotenv').config();

console logging environment this gives:

{
parsed: {
    DB_HOST: 'localhost',
    DB_USER: 'root',
    DB_PASS: 'pass',
    PORT: '3000',
    ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET: 'secretKey',
  }
}

Using it on jwt.sign not works

let accessToken = jwt.sign(userObj, environment.parsed.ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET);

Hope this helps, I was stuck on it for hours. Please feel free to add anything to my answer which may help explain more on this.