Vite/React & Node.js app can't read .env variables – Node.js

The Problem:

Unable to Access Environment Variables in Vite/React and Node.js Application

The Solutions:

Solution 1: Set Environment Variables with Consistent Prefix and Use dotenv-flow for Backend

• Frontend (Vite/React):

  • Prefix environment variables with VITE_ to make them available in the frontend through import.meta.env.
  • Example: VITE_API_KEY = 'YOUR_API_KEY' in your .env file.
  • Access the variable in your React component using import.meta.env.VITE_API_KEY.

• Backend (Node.js):

  • Install dotenv-flow package as a dependency (npm install dotenv-flow).
  • Add a scripts section to your package.json file with the following commands:
    • "start": "cross-env NODE_ENV=production node -r dotenv-flow/config index.mjs"
    • "dev": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development nodemon -r dotenv-flow/config"
  • These commands set the NODE_ENV environment variable and use dotenv-flow to load .env variables before running the Node.js server.

• Additional Notes:

  • Ensure that your .env file is in the same directory as your package.json file.
  • The cross-env package is used to set environment variables consistently across different platforms.
  • For more information, refer to the Vite documentation on environment variables and the dotenv-flow documentation.

Video Explanation:

The following video, titled "Create React App Using Vite - YouTube", provides additional insights and in-depth exploration related to the topics discussed in this post.

Welcome to this comprehensive tutorial on how to create a React app using Vite instead of the traditional Create React App (CRA) setup.