How to set up .env files in Django

Many resources can be unclear when explaining how to set up environment variables in Django with '.env' files. Here's a straightforward guide:

1. Download the Python Dotenv library:

pip install python-dotenv

1. Add or edit your '.env' file:

ENV_KEY = "your-key-goes-here"

1. Import it in your specific file(The file you want to include your '.env' file values):

import os
from django.core.exceptions import ImproperConfigError
from django.views import View

#Import load_dotenv module
from dotenv import load_dotenv

class KeyValueView(View):
    def get(self, request):
        """
        Gets a key value from the .env file.

        Raises:
            ImproperConfigError: If the ENV_KEY environment variable is not set.
        """

        # Load the dotenv function
        load_dotenv()

        try:
            # Your key is imported here like so...
            key = os.environ.get('ENV_KEY')
            if not key:
                raise ImproperConfigError("You must set the ENV_KEY environment variable.")
            value = os.getenv(key)
            return render(request, 'your_template.html', {'key': key, 'value': value})
        except ImproperConfigError as e:
            return HttpResponseBadRequest(str(e))

Note:

1. Don't commit or deploy your '.env' file - (that goes without saying) you will compromise the security of your site if you do.
2. Your '.env' file should be in your root directory. i.e