Using Environment Variables with flutter_dotenv and DotEnv in Flutter: Step by Step Guide

Load and access your environment variables securely and efficiently in your Flutter applications.

Introduction

When building Flutter applications, it's essential to manage sensitive data like API keys, database credentials, or environment-specific configurations. Hardcoding these values directly in your code is a security risk and can lead to issues when deploying your app to different environments.

That's where .env variables come in – a simple and effective way to store and manage environment-specific configurations. In this blog, we’ll explore how to use .env files to manage environment variables in your Flutter app, with a step-by-step guide and a practical example.

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Some concepts

What Are .env Files?

.env files are simple text files used to store environment-specific variables. They typically contain key-value pairs, like API keys or base URLs, which can be accessed throughout your application.

Why Use .env Files?

• Separation of Concerns: Keep configuration settings separate from your code.

• Security: Store sensitive information like API keys securely.

• Flexibility: Easily switch between different environments (development, staging, production).

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Step-by-Step Guide

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure you have the following:

• A Flutter project set up.

Step 1: Add the dotenv package

First, add the dotenv package to your pubspec.yaml file:

dependencies:
  flutter_dotenv: ^5.1.0

Step 2: Create a .env File

Create a .env file in the root directory of your Flutter project. This file will store your environment variables.

API_KEY=your_api_key_here
BASE_URL=https://example.com

Step 3: Update pubspec.yaml

Ensure that the .env file is included as an asset in your project. Modify your pubspec.yaml file to include the .env file:

flutter:
  assets:
    - .env

Important: Run flutter pub get to apply the changes.

Step 4: Load the .env File

In your main.dart file, import flutter_dotenv and load the .env file before running the app:

import 'package:flutter_dotenv/flutter_dotenv.dart';

void main() async {
  WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized(); // Ensure Flutter is initialized
  try {
    await dotenv.load(fileName: ".env"); // Load environment variables
  } catch (e) {
    throw Exception('Error loading .env file: $e'); // Print error if any
  }
  runApp(const MainApp()); // Runs the app
}

1. Ensure Flutter is initialized: WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized() ensures that Flutter's framework is initialized before loading the .env file. This is important because dotenv.load() relies on Flutter's file system to read the .env file.

2. Load environment variables: await dotenv.load(fileName: ".env") loads the environment variables from the .env file. The await keyword ensures that the loading process is completed before proceeding.

3. Error handling: The try-catch block catches any errors that might occur while loading the .env file. If an error occurs, it throws an exception with a meaningful error message.

4. Run the app: Finally, runApp(const MainApp()) runs the app.

Step 5: Access Environment Variables

You can access the environment variables using dotenv.env:

import 'package:flutter_dotenv/flutter_dotenv.dart';

class ApiService {
  final String baseUrl = dotenv.env['BASE_URL'] ?? 'default_url';
  final String apiKey = dotenv.env['API_KEY'] ?? 'default_key';

  // Use baseUrl and apiKey in your API calls
}

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Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

1. File Not Found: Ensure the .env file is in the root directory and correctly specified in pubspec.yaml.

2. File Not Loading: Confirm that await dotenv.load() is called before running the app.

Note: Remember to add your .env file to your .gitignore file to avoid committing sensitive data to your version control system.

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By following these steps and using flutter_dotenv in your Flutter app, you'll be able to manage your environment-specific configurations securely and efficiently.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions.

Aditional Resources:

• Flutter Dotenv documentation.

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