Database Configuration

Set up environment configuration files from templates with validation.

Steps

1. Scan for environment template files: .env.example, .env.template, .env.sample.
2. If no template exists, analyze the codebase for environment variable usage:
   • Search for process.env., os.environ, env::var, os.Getenv patterns.
   • Extract all referenced variable names.
3. Generate .env.example with all required variables:
   • Group by category (database, API keys, feature flags, etc.).
   • Add descriptions as comments.
   • Include sensible defaults for non-sensitive values.
   • Mark required vs optional variables.
4. If .env does not exist, create it from the template:
   • Copy .env.example to .env.
   • Prompt for values of required variables without defaults.
5. Verify .env is in .gitignore.
6. Generate a TypeScript/Python config module that validates env vars at startup.

Format

# Database Configuration
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://localhost:5432/myapp  # Required
DATABASE_POOL_SIZE=10                            # Optional, default: 10

# API Keys
API_KEY=                                         # Required, no default

Rules

• Never commit .env files; always verify .gitignore includes them.
• Always provide an .env.example with placeholder values, never real credentials.
• Mark each variable as required or optional with clear comments.
• Generate runtime validation that fails fast on missing required variables.
• Use consistent naming: UPPER_SNAKE_CASE with logical prefixes.