If you have come into contact with our company and you are not a developer, you have probably found yourself wondering: what does dotenv actually mean? Is it perhaps an acronym, or the abbreviation of two words merged together? Find out by reading our article.
The meaning of the name dotenv
In computing language, dotenv refers to a configuration file that is used in almost all applications and makes it possible to manage the configuration of a piece of software. The .env file (dot env, precisely) is at the same time very complex: if, on the one hand, it is extremely useful and widely used, on the other it is not simple to create. In fact, to be able to place it correctly in the source code, you need to know the context of the software solution perfectly and be clear about its scope of application.
In this sense, we like to think we are similar to a .env file, because for every client who relies on our experience, we analyse the context and draw the scope of application; all while adapting (just like a .env file) to the needs of the client.
But what exactly is a .env file?
A .env file is a configuration file that defines and sets the variables (anything that has a given value) of a specific environment. .env files are not part of the source code; they are only configuration files.
There are various environments such as, for example, development, test and production. In each of these, every variable keeps the same name, but could have a different value. Environment variables let us manage application configurations separately from our codebase. Separating these configurations makes it easier to deploy the source code in different environments. Environment variables are variables external to our application: they reside in the operating system or in the container in which the production application is running. Since development is mainly carried out on local machines, environment variables are placed in the local ones with commands such as set or export, or stored in the .env file locally.
Now that you know why we chose the name dotenv for our company, how about starting an innovative project together with our team?