.env File Loading

Load environment variables from .env files without any external dependency.

Basic Usage

import { createEnv } from "@frauschert/env-guard";

// Default: loads .env, .env.{NODE_ENV}, .env.local (in order)
const env = createEnv(schema, { envFiles: true });

// Custom file list
const env = createEnv(schema, {
  envFiles: [".env", ".env.production", ".env.local"],
});

Loading Rules

• Files are read in order; the first file to define a variable wins.
• Existing process.env values are never overwritten — the real environment always takes precedence.
• Missing files are silently skipped.
• Supports KEY=value, quoted values ("..." / '...'), inline comments, and blank lines.

Default File Resolution Order

When envFiles: true, the following files are loaded (in this order):

1. .env — base defaults
2. .env.{NODE_ENV} — environment-specific overrides (only if NODE_ENV is set)
3. .env.local — local machine overrides (typically git-ignored)

Standalone Helpers

You can also use the file-loading utilities directly:

import { loadEnvFiles, defaultEnvFiles } from "@frauschert/env-guard";

// Load a custom list
loadEnvFiles([".env", ".env.staging"]);

// Get the default file list for the current NODE_ENV
const files = defaultEnvFiles();
// → [".env", ".env.production", ".env.local"]