env-file-generator_skill

Overview

This skill generates properly structured .env files, including .env.example, .env.local, and environment-specific .env.{environment} variants. It produces safe-to-commit examples with obvious placeholders, grouped sections, and documentation comments. The output follows common conventions (SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE, quoted URLs, lowercase boolean strings) and highlights which values require real secrets.

How this skill works

When triggered by prompts like "create .env file" or "env file for <stack>", the skill emits a complete .env.example template tailored to the target stack (Node.js, Django, Docker, etc.). It inserts documented variables, secure placeholder patterns for secrets, environment-specific files, and comments with secret-generation tips. The generator validates naming conventions, groups related variables with headers, and flags values that must be replaced with real secrets.

When to use it

• Bootstrapping a new project and needing a ready-to-use .env.example
• Creating environment-specific config files for local, staging, and production
• Preparing secure placeholder values and documentation for team onboarding
• Generating dotenv templates for Node.js, Django, or microservice stacks
• Producing .env variants for docker-compose and CI environments

Best practices

• Keep .env.example safe to commit: use obvious placeholders like your_ or _here
• Use SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE for all variable names and no spaces around =
• Quote values with spaces or URLs; leave simple numbers and booleans unquoted
• Group related variables with section headers and blank lines for readability
• Never commit real secrets—add .env and *.local to .gitignore and use secret stores

Example use cases

• Create .env.example for a Next.js app with Prisma and Stripe (DB, auth, Stripe keys)
• Generate Django REST API environment template with SECRET_KEY, DB, Celery, and Redis
• Produce docker-compose .env with service ports, image tags, and registry credentials
• Output .env.local for development and .env.production with production placeholders
• Provide comments showing how to generate secrets (openssl, Django utilities)