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docs: add environment variable documentation and .env.example file #682

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9 changes: 9 additions & 0 deletions .env.example
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
PORT=5000

MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string

SESSION_SECRET=your_session_secret
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@coderabbitai coderabbitai Bot Jun 2, 2026

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⚠️ Potential issue | 🟠 Major | ⚡ Quick win

Enhance SESSION_SECRET placeholder to emphasize security requirements.

The current placeholder doesn't convey the security importance of using a strong, random value. Consider using a more descriptive placeholder that indicates the required characteristics (e.g., length, randomness).

🔒 Proposed improvement for SESSION_SECRET guidance 
-SESSION_SECRET=your_session_secret
+SESSION_SECRET=your_random_session_secret_min_32_characters

Additionally, consider adding a comment above this line:

+# Generate a secure random string (min 32 characters). Example: openssl rand -base64 32
 SESSION_SECRET=your_random_session_secret_min_32_characters
🤖 Prompt for AI Agents 
Verify each finding against current code. Fix only still-valid issues, skip the
rest with a brief reason, keep changes minimal, and validate.

In @.env.example at line 5, Update the SESSION_SECRET example to clearly require
a strong, random secret: replace the generic placeholder "your_session_secret"
with a descriptive value indicating length and randomness (e.g., "32+ char
random string, use a secure generator") and add a short preceding comment
recommending using a cryptographically secure random value (at least 32
characters) and not committing it to source control; reference the
SESSION_SECRET entry so the change is applied to that line.


NODE_ENV=development

LOG_LEVEL=debug
21 changes: 21 additions & 0 deletions README.md
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Expand Up @@ -80,6 +80,27 @@ Install all required dependencies:
npm install
npm install --save-dev jasmine @types/jasmine supertest express-session passport passport-local bcryptjs
```
## Environment Variables

Create a `.env` file in the project root and add the following variables:
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@coderabbitai coderabbitai Bot Jun 2, 2026

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🛠️ Refactor suggestion | 🟠 Major | ⚡ Quick win

Reference the .env.example file to streamline setup.

The instruction should mention copying the .env.example file as a starting point, rather than creating the .env file from scratch. This aligns with the PR's addition of the .env.example file and makes setup easier.

📝 Proposed improvement 
-Create a `.env` file in the project root and add the following variables:
+Create a `.env` file in the project root by copying `.env.example` and configure the following variables:
+
+```bash
+cp .env.example .env
+```
📝 Committable suggestion

‼️ IMPORTANT
Carefully review the code before committing. Ensure that it accurately replaces the highlighted code, contains no missing lines, and has no issues with indentation. Thoroughly test & benchmark the code to ensure it meets the requirements.

Suggested change
Create a `.env` file in the project root and add the following variables:
Create a `.env` file in the project root by copying `.env.example` and configure the following variables:
🤖 Prompt for AI Agents 
Verify each finding against current code. Fix only still-valid issues, skip the
rest with a brief reason, keep changes minimal, and validate.

In `@README.md` at line 85, Replace the sentence "Create a `.env` file in the
project root and add the following variables:" in README.md with instructions to
copy the provided `.env.example` as the starting point (e.g., mention copying
`.env.example` to `.env`) and then edit values as needed; reference the
`.env.example` filename explicitly so readers use that template rather than
creating `.env` from scratch.


| Variable | Description |
|----------|-------------|
| PORT | Port on which the backend server runs |
| MONGO_URI | MongoDB connection string |
| SESSION_SECRET | Secret key used for session management |
| NODE_ENV | Application environment |
| LOG_LEVEL | Logging level |
Comment on lines +87 to +93
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@coderabbitai coderabbitai Bot Jun 2, 2026

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🛠️ Refactor suggestion | 🟠 Major | ⚡ Quick win

Enhance variable descriptions with more helpful details.

The descriptions are quite brief and lack important details that would help contributors configure the application correctly. Consider adding:

  • Valid values for categorical variables (NODE_ENV, LOG_LEVEL)
  • Format examples or requirements (MONGO_URI, SESSION_SECRET)
  • Default values where applicable
📋 Proposed improvement 
 | Variable | Description |
 |----------|-------------|
-| PORT | Port on which the backend server runs |
-| MONGO_URI | MongoDB connection string |
-| SESSION_SECRET | Secret key used for session management |
-| NODE_ENV | Application environment |
-| LOG_LEVEL | Logging level |
+| PORT | Port on which the backend server runs (default: 5000) |
+| MONGO_URI | MongoDB connection string (e.g., `mongodb://localhost:27017/github_tracker`) |
+| SESSION_SECRET | Secret key for session management (min 32 characters, use a randomly generated string) |
+| NODE_ENV | Application environment (`development`, `production`, or `test`) |
+| LOG_LEVEL | Logging verbosity level (`error`, `warn`, `info`, `debug`) |
🤖 Prompt for AI Agents 
Verify each finding against current code. Fix only still-valid issues, skip the
rest with a brief reason, keep changes minimal, and validate.

In `@README.md` around lines 87 - 93, The environment variable table entries
(PORT, MONGO_URI, SESSION_SECRET, NODE_ENV, LOG_LEVEL) are too terse—update each
description to include expected formats, examples and defaults: specify PORT as
an integer with a default (e.g., 3000), MONGO_URI with a connection string
format example (mongodb://user:pass@host:port/db) and required auth/replica set
notes, SESSION_SECRET with minimum length/entropy guidance or example
placeholder and note that it must be set in production, NODE_ENV with allowed
values (development|production|test) and default, and LOG_LEVEL with allowed
values (error|warn|info|debug|trace) and default; edit the README table rows for
the symbols PORT, MONGO_URI, SESSION_SECRET, NODE_ENV, and LOG_LEVEL to include
these details.


### Example

```env
PORT=5000
MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
SESSION_SECRET=your_session_secret
NODE_ENV=development
LOG_LEVEL=debug
```

### Running the Tests
1. **Start MongoDB** (if not already running):
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