envgen-cli — Smart .env File Generator

A smart .env file generator based on a .env.example template. Automatically creates secure secrets, provides an interactive colorized terminal interface, and supports optional encryption using dotenv-vault.

Say goodbye to manually copying, pasting, or guessing environment variable values. Let envgen-cli handle the tedious work while you focus on writing code.

Demonstration

Watch the demo video here: https://ibb.co/JSXRVsb

Key Features

Interactive Interface: Stylish, color-coded terminal user interface (TUI). Auto-generated Secrets: Creates strong random passwords for fields like DB_PASS, SECRET_KEY, API_KEY, and more. Security First: Optional encryption through dotenv-vault for safe team collaboration. Zero Configuration: No config needed — just run envgen inside your project directory. Production Ready: Well-tested and type-safe for production environments. Lightweight: Minimal dependencies.

Installation

Bash

pip install envgen-cli

After installation, follow these three simple steps

Step 1 Create a .env.example in your project

Create a template file with the keys you need

Bash

cat > .env.example <<EOF DB_HOST=localhost DB_NAME= DB_USER=postgres DB_PASS= SECRET_KEY= DEBUG=true EOF

Step 2 Run envgen to generate your .env file

Bash

envgen --auto-generate --force

You will be prompted to enter values for empty fields.
For sensitive fields (like DBPASS, SECRETKEY), a strong generated password will be suggested.
Press Enter to accept it, or type your own value.

Step 3 Use your new .env file

That's it! Your .env is ready. Start your app — it will automatically read the environment variables from this file.

Tip for first-time users Run this quick demo in an empty folder to see how it works

Bash

mkdir demo-envgen && cd demo-envgen echo -e "API_KEY=\nDB_NAME=\nSECRET_KEY=" > .env.example envgen --auto-generate --force

Example

Assume you have a .env.example file like this

text

DB_HOST=localhost DB_PORT=5432 DB_USER=app_user DB_PASS= SECRET_KEY= API_ENDPOINT=https://api.example.com

After running envgen --auto-generate, you will get an interactive prompt for each empty field. For DBPASS and SECRETKEY, the tool will suggest generated values.

The resulting .env file will look something like this

text

DB_HOST=localhost DB_PORT=5432 DB_USER=app_user DB_PASS=Ahngaey7aezee2Oo SECRET_KEY=!hz$@vz9x4%f&s#l+0vqo@%d&e^p$*a@ API_ENDPOINT=https://api.example.com

When to use --force (and when not to)

Use --force when

• You are testing or developing and want a clean start every time.
• You are giving a demo and need predictable output.
• You changed your .env.example and want to regenerate the .env file from scratch.

Bash

envgen --auto-generate --force

Do NOT use --force when

• You are in a team project — others may have custom settings in their .env file.
• You are in a production or staging environment — never overwrite live configs!
• You have already configured your .env file manually — you will lose your changes!

Safe mode recommended for most cases

Bash

envgen --auto-generate

In this mode, the utility will not overwrite an existing .env file.

Think of it like this

--force = "I know what I'm doing — overwrite everything!"
No --force = "Be careful — if a config exists, leave it alone."

Available Commands & Options

text

envgen [OPTIONS]

Options

• -a, --auto-generate Enable automatic generation of values for empty/secret fields
• -f, --force Force overwrite of an existing .env file
• --help Show this help message and exit

Development and Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request on GitHub.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.