Documenting environment variables with .env.example
Why it matters
When .env is ignored and nothing documents it, nobody new can start the project without asking.
How to fix it
What to do: Create
Key rule:
.env.example documenting all environment variables.# Database
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/dbname
# Security
SECRET_KEY=your-secret-key-change-in-production
DEBUG=false
ALLOWED_HOSTS=localhost,127.0.0.1
# Cache
REDIS_URL=redis://localhost:6379/0
# External services
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_...
SENTRY_DSN=https://...
Key rule:
.env.example goes in git, .env goes in .gitignore.Does your repository pass this check?
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