func loadConfig() defaults, _ := godotenv.Read(".env") overrides, _ := godotenv.Read(".env.go.local") for k, v := range overrides defaults[k] = v
Elias knew that .env.go.local was in the .gitignore . It shouldn't be in the repository. It shouldn't be on the server. .env.go.local
# Local environment overrides .env.go.local .env.local .env.*.local # But DO NOT ignore the example file !.env.example Use code with caution. Why Use This Over Standard Environment Variables? func loadConfig() defaults, _ := godotenv
// Optional: warn if .env is missing but .env.go.local exists if _, err := os.Stat(".env.go.local"); err == nil if _, err := os.Stat(".env"); err != nil log.Println("Warning: .env.go.local exists but no .env - defaults missing") # Local environment overrides
Enter – a lightweight, local-first environment file pattern that works beautifully with Go’s os.Getenv and popular packages like joho/godotenv .