load environment variables from env files in python

loading environment variables from `.env` files in python is a common practice, particularly when it comes to managing configuration settings such as api keys, database credentials, and other sensitive information. this approach keeps sensitive data out of your source code and makes it easier to manage different environments (development, testing, production).

step-by-step tutorial on loading environment variables from `.env` files

step 1: install the required package

the most popular package for loading environment variables from `.env` files is `python-dotenv`. you can install it using pip:

```bash
pip install python-dotenv
```

step 2: create a `.env` file

next, create a `.env` file in your project directory. this file will contain your key-value pairs of environment variables. for example:

```plaintext
.env
api_key=your_api_key_here
debug=true
```

step 3: load the environment variables in your python code

you can use the `load_dotenv` function from the `dotenv` module to load these variables into your environment. here’s a simple example to demonstrate how to do this:

```python
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load environment variables from .env file
load_dotenv()

use the variables in your application
print("database url:", database_url)
print("api key:", api_key)
print("debug mode:", debug_mode)
```

step 4: using the loaded environment variables

example of a simple application

here’s a more complete example where these en ...

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