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Using dotenv (.env) files with Atlas

A .env file is a simple text file used to store environment variables for applications. It helps developers manage configuration settings, such as database credentials, API keys, and other sensitive information, without hardcoding them into the source code. By using a .env file, developers can keep their codebase clean, secure, and easily configurable across different environments.

For developers who want to use .env files with Atlas, there are two ways users can do so through the standard Atlas HCL configuration file:

Features Not Supported by the Community Release

After upgrading Atlas, you might encounter an error stating "Feature X is no longer supported by this release."

For example:

Error: data.external_schema is no longer supported by this release.

This occurs when you install the community version of Atlas, which lacks some features available only in non-community builds.

Seeding your database with data

Applications often rely on a static dataset to pre-exist in the database in order to function. Examples for such datasets include user roles, country names, or product categories.

The process of populating the database with this initial data is called "seeding". This guide will show you how to seed your database using Atlas.