feature: add --dotenv arg

[bkniffler]

Not sure if you desire to have this inbuilt, but to me its pretty much essential to preload env files before running commands. I'm sure others would welcome this.

Feature

Add an argument to load .env files prior to running the script.

Issues

• bi-directional env passing #119

NPM packages people seemed to publish to add this feature

• https://www.npmjs.com/package/zxe

Done

• Tests pass
• Appropriate changes to README are included in PR

[antonmedv]

Can you share use case? Seems very specific.

[bkniffler]

e.g. setup and helper scripts in a project with environment specific or secret configurations (e.g. db secrets, NODE_ENV, ports, etc).

// Connect and expose a machines port to local
void (async function () {
  await $`ssh -L 8899:$PORT $HOST`;
})();

or doing stuff depending on NODE_ENV

void (async function () {
  if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development') 
      ...;
  else
      ...;
})();

etc.

So something like zx migrate-data.js --dotenv with a .env file containing the database address, port and password ist super convenient.

[antonmedv]

As no more interest was shown, let’s not merge it now.

Probably we can discuss adding such feature later.

[bkniffler]

Alright, in case anyone needs it, I've pushed my version with this PR here: https://www.npmjs.com/package/zxenv

[Lp-Francois]

Hello! I am really interested to use a .env file as we don't want to commit databases credentials and they are the same as the ones already present in the .env of the project where the zx script is used.

For the moment I'll probably use this work-around: #119 (comment)
But it would be really nice to have an option to import .env values 🙏
Like require('dotenv').config(); at the beginning.

In a bash script I used to do:

# Load .env
export $(egrep -v '^#' .env | xargs)

[pvinis]

This is great, please reopen.

[joselcvarela]

I really feel this should be supported.
For example, you want to create a script to:

• fetch data from a location which requires an API key or an access token
• connect to a remote database which requires credentials
• remote access (ssh) which also requires credentials

Those all should come from environment variables if you want to track these files.
Also, since this is a scripting tool it makes total sense to have this feature.

Although I believe it should auto detect any .env in the same folder of script and pass --env or --dotenv when .env is in another location

[antonmedv]

What about just adding to the script:

import 'dotenv/config'

That's it. Nothing else is required.

Although I believe it should auto detect any .env in the same folder of script

Definitely not support this. Things should be explicit.

[joselcvarela]

What about just adding to the script:

import 'dotenv/config'

This requires to have a package.json, node_modules folder and all the boilerplate that comes with npm.
We are in environment where everyone has zx installed on their machines and can just create a script anywhere.
If we need to create a package.json there's no need to use zx.

[antonmedv]

We are in environment where everyone has zx installed on their machines and can just create a script anywhere.

Interesting. Can you tell little bit more?

[joselcvarela]

We are in environment where everyone has zx installed on their machines and can just create a script anywhere.

Interesting. Can you tell little bit more?

For example, we have a folder structure which is related to DevOps.
In order to automate of some tedious tasks we use zx. Although, sometimes we need to fetch data from a service and zx already provides fetch which is great. But this service requires an API key and we don't want to commit this file with this API key for obvious reasons.

[antonmedv]

I see. This makes sense.

[antonmedv]

Let’s open a new issue and discuss implementation there c