dotenv-cli

A simple way to retrieve, update, or delete .env variables directly from the command line.

Install

Find it on npm or GitHub

npm i -g @mikegarde/dotenv-cli

CLI Usage

Get a value from a .env file:

dotenv <key>

Get a value from a .env.example file:

dotenv <key> --file .env.example

JSON

By default multiple keys are returned as a JSON object. To return a single key as a JSON object, use the --json flag. To not return a JSON object, use the --no-json flag.

Return a .env file as JSON:

dotenv

Wildcard search:

dotenv "DB_*"

Multiline Values

The default behavior is to output a single line value. If you want to output a multiline value, you can use the --multiline flag:

$ dotenv RSA_KEY
-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----\nMIIBOgIBAAJBAKj34GkxFhD90vcNLYLInFEX6Ppy1tPf...

$ dotenv RSA_KEY --multiline
-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
MIIBOgIBAAJBAKj34GkxFhD90vcNLYLInFEX6Ppy1tPf9Cnzj4p4WGeKLs1Pt8Qu
KUpRKfFLfRYC9AIKjbJTWit+CqvjWYzvQwECAwEAAQJAIJLixBy2qpFoS4DSmoEm

Setting a Value

Set a value in a .env file:

dotenv <key> --set <value>

Or pipe a value in:

echo <value> | dotenv <key>

Deleting a Value

Delete a value from a .env file:

dotenv <key> --delete

Using DOTENV_FILE Environment Variable

You can define the DOTENV_FILE environment variable in your shell or script to specify the .env file to use, instead of passing the --file option every time.

export DOTENV_FILE=.env.example
dotenv <key>

This will use the .env.example file automatically. If the --file option is provided, it will override the DOTENV_FILE environment variable.

Examples

RSA Key Pair

1. Private Key: Generate a new key using the openssl command. The private key is then stored in the .env file under the variable RSA_KEY.
2. Public Key The dotenv command, with the --multiline flag, retrieves the stored private key and pipes it back to openssl. openssl then generates a corresponding public key. This public key is stored in the .env file under the variable RSA_PUB.

openssl genpkey -algorithm RSA -outform PEM -pkeyopt rsa_keygen_bits:2048 2>/dev/null | dotenv RSA_KEY
dotenv RSA_KEY -m | openssl rsa -pubout 2>/dev/null | dotenv RSA_PUB

App Version

This demonstrates two methods for updating the APP_VERSION in your .env file. The sed command is versatile and powerful, allowing for complex text manipulations. On the other hand, dotenv provides a more readable and straightforward syntax.

NEW_VERSION=3.22.1

# Using sed
sed -i "s/^APP_VERSION=.*$/APP_VERSION=$NEW_VERSION/" .env

# Using dotenv
dotenv APP_VERSION --set $NEW_VERSION

JSON Output

Make it pretty with jq:

dotenv | jq

Or filter the output:

$ dotenv | jq 'to_entries | map(select(.key | startswith("DB_")))[] | "\(.key)=\(.value)"'
"DB_HOST=localhost"
"DB_USER=root"
"DB_PASS=password"