In this episode, we dive into how to use .env
files with Nuxt to manage environment variables for different environments, like local development, staging, and production. You'll see why these variables are so useful and learn how similar they can be to those in backend frameworks.
We start by installing the popular dotenv
package and integrating it into a fresh Nuxt project. You'll see how to set up your .env
file in the root of your project and verify that Nuxt can correctly load your environment variables—like a Stripe secret key.
Next, we cover how to access these variables inside your components (using process.env
), and even discuss a more organized approach by creating a config.js
file to centralize all your secrets and settings. This makes your code cleaner and handling different configurations a breeze.
Finally, we touch on best practices—like keeping secrets out of your codebase—and explain how using .env
files makes it easier to switch between different environments. By the end, you'll have a solid understanding of managing environment variables in your Nuxt apps, making your development workflow smoother and more professional.