Quick Introduction and Setup of dotenv

What Is It And What Does It Do?

dotenv is a ruby gem that allows you to use the .env file to store environment variables. Think of it as a global variable for your entire app.

Why Should I Use dotenv?

Aside from the obvious reason of having a global variable, most people use the .env file to store private information like API keys. And usually, the .env file is included in the .gitignore file so that you don't accidentally upload it to your repository.

Setting Up dotenv

In your gemfile:

gem 'dotenv'

and in your /config/environment.rb file:

require 'dotenv'
Dotenv.load

Additional Resources

.gitignore files

dotenv Repo