.env.development.local — Better

:

If you are building a plain Node.js backend using Express, native environment loading of tiered files doesn't happen automatically. You will need a package like dotenv-flow instead of standard dotenv . javascript

Both developers have their personalized setups, and neither interferes with the other's workflow. .env.development.local

Example of a dotenv configuration file:

.env.development.local is a specific type of environment file that is used in development environments. The .development part of the file name indicates that it is intended for development environments, while the .local part suggests that it is specific to the local machine of the developer. This file is usually used to override or add configuration variables that are specific to the development environment. : If you are building a plain Node

: Tells the application to load this file only when NODE_ENV is set to development .

By overriding shared development variables on your local machine, you gain the ability to test with real-world data, debug with maximum verbosity, and connect to local services—all without fear of breaking your colleague's environment or committing a secret to Git. Example of a dotenv configuration file:

DATABASE_URL=mongodb://localhost:27017/bobs-local-db