Yesterday, in a moment of sheer genius (read: foolishness), I accidentally deleted my project’s .env file. No big deal, right? Just check the bin folder and restore it. Except… it wasn’t there. My .env had vanished into the void.
Cue panic mode. 😱
The Panic: Googling My Way to Nowhere
I did what any developer would do: I Googled. I read blogs, Stack Overflow threads, and even watched a few YouTube tutorials. But nothing worked. My environments were lost in the digital abyss, and I was starting to accept my fate.
Then, like a glimmer of hope, I remembered something: VS Code’s Timeline feature.
The Savior: VS Code’s Timeline
For those who don’t know, VS Code’s Timeline is like a time machine for your files. It shows you the history of changes, and you can restore previous versions with a single click. I opened the Timeline, scrolled through the history, and there they were—my precious environments, waiting to be resurrected.
I clicked “Restore,” and just like that, my environments were back. Crisis averted.
Lessons Learned (The Easy Way):
Backup Everything: This incident taught me the importance of backups. Whether it’s a simple copy-paste or an automated system, always have a backup plan.
VS Code Timeline is a Game-Changer: If you’re not using this feature, you’re missing out. It’s like having an undo button for your entire project.
Think Twice, Delete Once: That delete button is dangerous. Always double-check before you hit it.
Stay Calm and Google On: When things go wrong, take a deep breath and start searching for solutions. The answer might be closer than you think.
Final Thoughts
Next time you delete something important, don’t lose hope. Your savior might be just a few clicks away. And with that, I close this chapter of The Lost & Found Dev Files Saga.
Stay safe, and may your .env files always be recoverable! 🚀
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