Use silent by default about dotenv HOT 2 CLOSED

a tool like dotenv should check if there is a .env file, and use that above all else

We respect the current process.env over .env to allow cascading assignment in the opposite direction you're thinking of (process.env then .env then another .env etc.)

gracefully fall back on actual environment variables if it isn't there

process.env is populated by node before .env is loaded or attempted to be loaded so your actual environment variables always take precedence.

I'd want it to throw an error instead of looking for proper environment variables

Node populates process.env with "proper environment variables." We catch the error that is thrown when the .env file is missing and log it which is helpful for people getting started and understanding what may not be working. That's more important to me than prettier startup logs.

from dotenv.

Okay thanks for the background, Max

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