AI engineering glossary · Command line Git
What is dotenv file?
Dotenv file (also called .env file): A plain text file, conventionally named .env, holding KEY=value lines of configuration such as API keys and database URLs. Libraries load it into environment variables at start-up. It should be excluded from version control so secrets are not published.
Dotenv file: an example
A .env file with DATABASE_URL=postgres://localhost/app is read by python-dotenv, and .env is listed in .gitignore.
Related terms
More Command line Git terms
Where you learn it
Dotenv file is part of the AI Engineering Program, which teaches it with notes, a hands-on lab and an exam. The first lesson is free.