refactor: use native Node.js loadEnvFile instead of dotenv

Author: YasharF

.env.example

@@ -25,9 +25,6 @@ ALPHA_VANTAGE_KEY=api-key
 DISCORD_CLIENT_ID=discord-client-id/discord-app-id
 DISCORD_CLIENT_SECRET=discord-client-secret
 
-# To suppress multiple tip/advertisement lines about the dotenvx service
-DOTENV_KEY=""
-
 FACEBOOK_ID=754220301289665
 FACEBOOK_SECRET=41860e58c256a3d7ad8267d3c1939a4a
 # FB Pixel ID is optional if you are trying to do customer rtracking

README.md

@@ -621,7 +621,6 @@ Required to run the project before your modifications
 | cheerio                       | Scrape web pages using jQuery-style syntax.                           |
 | compression                   | Node.js compression middleware.                                       |
 | connect-mongo                 | MongoDB session store for Express.                                    |
-| dotenv                        | Loads environment variables from .env file.                           |
 | errorhandler                  | Development-only error handler middleware.                            |
 | express                       | Node.js web framework.                                                |
 | express-rate-limit            | Rate limiting middleware for abuse protection.                        |

app.js

@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ const compression = require('compression');
 const session = require('express-session');
 const errorHandler = require('errorhandler');
 const lusca = require('lusca');
-const dotenv = require('dotenv');
 const { MongoStore } = require('connect-mongo');
 const mongoose = require('mongoose');
 const passport = require('passport');
@@ -17,7 +16,11 @@ const { flash } = require('./config/flash');
 /**
  * Load environment variables from .env file, where API keys and passwords are configured.
  */
-dotenv.config({ path: '.env.example', quiet: true });
+try {
+  process.loadEnvFile('.env.example');
+} catch {
+  console.log('No .env.example file found. This is OK if the required environment variables are already set in your environment.');
+}
 
 /**
  * Set config values

package-lock.json

@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@
     "cheerio": "^1.2.0",
     "compression": "^1.8.1",
     "connect-mongo": "^6.0.0",
-    "dotenv": "^17.3.1",
     "errorhandler": "^1.5.2",
     "express": "^5.2.1",
     "express-rate-limit": "^8.2.1",
@@ -108,7 +107,6 @@
     "supertest": "^7.2.2"
   },
   "overrides": {
-    "dotenv": "^17.3.1",
     "encoding-sniffer": "github:SeattleDevs/encoding-sniffer",
     "fetch-blob": "github:SeattleDevs/fetch-blob",
     "formdata-node": "^6.0.3",

package.json

@@ -17,9 +17,6 @@ ALPHA_VANTAGE_KEY=api-key
 DISCORD_CLIENT_ID=discord-client-id/discord-app-id
 DISCORD_CLIENT_SECRET=discord-client-secret
 
-# To suppress multiple tip/advertisement lines about the dotenvx service
-DOTENV_KEY=""
-
 FACEBOOK_ID=1234567890123456
 FACEBOOK_SECRET=test_facebook_secret
 FACEBOOK_PIXEL_ID=

test/.env.test

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ const path = require('node:path');
 const { expect } = require('chai');
 const sinon = require('sinon');
 const mongoose = require('mongoose');
-require('dotenv').config({ path: path.join(__dirname, '.env.test') });
+process.loadEnvFile(path.join(__dirname, '.env.test'));
 const { _saveOAuth2UserTokens } = require('../config/passport');
 const User = require('../models/User');
 

test/auth.opt.test.js

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ const sinon = require('sinon');
 const refresh = require('passport-oauth2-refresh');
 const mongoose = require('mongoose');
 const validator = require('validator');
-require('dotenv').config({ path: path.join(__dirname, '.env.test') });
+process.loadEnvFile(path.join(__dirname, '.env.test'));
 const passportModule = require('../config/passport');
 const { isAuthorized, _saveOAuth2UserTokens, _handleAuthLogin } = passportModule;
 const User = require('../models/User');

test/passport.test.js

@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 const fs = require('node:fs');
 const path = require('node:path');
 const { defineConfig, devices } = require('@playwright/test');
-const dotenv = require('dotenv');
-// Preserve any MONGODB_URI that was set before loading dotenv, since it is set to the memory server starter
+// Preserve any MONGODB_URI that was set before loading env file, since it is set to the memory server starter
 const originalMongoUri = process.env.MONGODB_URI;
-const result = dotenv.config({ path: path.resolve(__dirname, '.env.test'), quiet: true });
+process.loadEnvFile(path.resolve(__dirname, '.env.test'));
 // If MONGODB_URI was not set by the outer environment (originalMongoUri undefined)
-// but exists in the parsed dotenv, remove it so the memory-server starter can create a DB.
-if (!originalMongoUri && result && result.parsed && result.parsed.MONGODB_URI) {
+// but was loaded from the env file, remove it so the memory-server starter can create a DB.
+if (originalMongoUri) {
+  process.env.MONGODB_URI = originalMongoUri;
+} else if (process.env.MONGODB_URI) {
   delete process.env.MONGODB_URI;
 }
 

test/playwright.config.js

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 const path = require('node:path');
 const { expect } = require('chai');
 const sinon = require('sinon');
-require('dotenv').config({ path: path.join(__dirname, '.env.test') });
+process.loadEnvFile(path.join(__dirname, '.env.test'));
 const { providerRevocationConfig } = require('../config/passport');
 const { revokeProviderTokens, revokeAllProviderTokens } = require('../config/token-revocation');