theskumar/python-dotenv
Reads key-value pairs from a .env file and can set them as environment variables. It helps in developing applications following the 12-factor principles. observed · 2026-08-28
Health v2 · maintenance only
90/100
- Activity 99
- Release rhythm 74
- Longevity 100
How is this computed?
round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10) — computed 2026-09-02. Adoption (stars, forks) is never an input.
- gap_med: 124
- age_days: 4379
- days_rel: 17
- days_push: 10
- n_releases_24m: 6
Adoption not part of the score
8854 stars · 568 forks observed · 2026-08-28
What it is AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, 2026-08-29, confidence not recorded
python-dotenv is a Python library that reads key-value pairs from a .env file and sets them as environment variables, following 12-factor app principles. It also provides a CLI (dotenv run/set/unset) and utilities to parse .env files without modifying the environment.
Use cases
- load environment variables from a .env file in python
- manage app configuration for 12-factor apps
- parse .env files into a dict without touching os.environ
- run commands with variables loaded from a .env file
- set and unset keys in a .env file programmatically
- load .env files in IPython
When to choose
- your Python app reads configuration from environment variables and you want a .env file for local development
- you need variable expansion and multiline values in .env files
- you want a small, well-maintained, BSD-licensed dependency
When to avoid
- you need full configuration management with nested structures or multiple formats (consider pydantic-settings or dynaconf)
- your runtime platform natively loads .env files (e.g. Docker Compose, many frameworks)
- you need to manage secrets securely rather than in plaintext files
Facets
library · maturity stable
configuration-management cli parser developer-tools python cli cross-platform dotenv environment-variables 12-factor-app settings secrets devops automation
4 sources
- readme: https://github.com/theskumar/python-dotenv · fetched 2026-08-28 · d2eaf7233665
- homepage: https://saurabh-kumar.com/python-dotenv/ · fetched 2026-08-29 · 484a90e6d99f
- registry_pypi: https://pypi.org/pypi/python-dotenv/json · fetched 2026-08-29 · 05ef4c2db5f7
- site_page: https://saurabh-kumar.com/python-dotenv/changelog · fetched 2026-08-29 · b597ee9fe296
Member repositories
| Repository | Role | Health v2 |
|---|---|---|
| theskumar/python-dotenv | main | 90 |
For agents
markdown · JSON · MCP: product_card(name="theskumar/python-dotenv")
Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00 · Report a problem