Restart dev server on .env.* file changes

[ArianHamdi]

Goals

1. Automatically restart the Next.js dev server when changes are detected in .env.* files.
2. Enhance developer experience by ensuring that configuration changes are reflected without manual server restarts.

Non-Goals

No response

Background

Currently, the Next.js dev server restarts when changes are detected in next.config.js. However, when .env.* files are modified, the dev server does not automatically restart. This can lead to a suboptimal developer experience as manual restarts are required to apply the updated configuration.

Proposal

Implement a mechanism in the Next.js dev server to detect changes in .env.* files and trigger an automatic restart when such changes are detected. This ensures that any modifications to environment variables are immediately reflected in the running development server without the need for manual intervention.

[pybern]

I am on Next.js 14 and it reloads my .env file when its updated.

[ArianHamdi]

It reloads the .env.*, so if you log environment variables, you will see new values. However, it doesn't restart the dev server. Therefore, if you used .env files inside next.config.js, changing them won't affect the server.

[FindingJohnny]

Looking for this exact feature.

Use Case:
We have a brand specific themes that we have built using SCSS Modules that we are copy to a single location for reference from the code base at build time.

Import Example:

@import "@/scss/themes/brands/colors"

Config Example Below:

const nextConfig = {
  reactStrictMode: true,
  webpack: (config, options) => {

    config.plugins.push(
      new CopyPlugin({
        patterns: [
          {
            from: `src/scss/themes/${process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_BRAND}`,
            to: '../src/scss/themes/brand',
            force: true,
          },
        ],
      })
    );

    return config;
  },
};

module.exports = nextConfig;

[yinebebt]

Does this discussion open yet?

[ArianHamdi]

Yeap

…

On Fri, 15 Mar 2024, 21:19 Yinebeb Tariku, ***@***.***> wrote: Does this discussion open yet? — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#59558 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AOGKJIMKWOBEW3WMYE4QBADYYMYEDAVCNFSM6AAAAABASVB37KVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43SRDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHM4DQMBVGI4DS> . You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[yinebebt]

ok, we will check it with my teams.

[ArianHamdi]

Is there any progress on this? it can be a bit problematic when next.config.js rely on environment variables.

[trishantpahwa]

Why not allow the custom file names to be listed in next.config.js that restart the server on any change in them?