env_builder_cli

A powerful Dart CLI tool that automates the creation and maintenance of environment packages for Flutter applications. Generate type-safe environment variable access from .env files with built-in encryption support.

Features

• 🚀 Automated Environment Package Generation: Automatically creates Flutter packages from .env files
• 🔐 Built-in Encryption: AES encryption support for sensitive environment variables
• 📝 Type-Safe Access: Generates Dart classes using Envied for compile-time safety
• 🏗️ Flutter Integration: Seamlessly integrates with Flutter projects and handles pubspec dependencies
• 🔄 Multi-Environment Support: Handle development, staging, production, and custom environments
• 📂 Git Integration: Automatic .gitignore updates with appropriate environment file rules
• 🧪 Testing Support: Generates test files for environment variable validation

Installation

Global Installation

Install the CLI globally using pub:

dart pub global activate env_builder_cli

Or using the executable name:

dart pub global activate env_builder

Local Installation

Add to your pubspec.yaml:

dev_dependencies:
  env_builder_cli: ^1.1.2

Usage

Basic Usage

Navigate to your Flutter project root and run:

# Build with all .env* files found in current directory (.env.ci, .env.custom, .env.app, etc.)
env_builder build

# Build with specific environment files
env_builder build --env-file=.env.development,.env.production,.env.staging

This will:

1. Create a packages/env directory
2. Copy your .env files to the env package
3. Generate Dart classes for type-safe access
4. Update dependencies in pubspec.yaml files
5. Run flutter pub get automatically

Commands

Build Command

Generates environment packages from .env files:

# Build with default configuration (auto-detects .env* files)
env_builder build

# Build with specific environment files
env_builder build --env-file=.env.dev,.env.prod

# Build with custom output directory
env_builder build --output-dir=custom_env

Planned Features:

• --output-dir: Custom output directory (default: packages/env)
• --no-encrypt: Skip encryption of sensitive variables
• --verbose: Detailed output during build process
• Complex Data Types Support: Handle JSON-like strings (e.g., APP_CONFIG={"theme":"dark","features":["chat","notifications"]})
• --config-env-file: Specify a default configuration file for environment-specific settings

Encrypt Command

Encrypt sensitive environment files:

env_builder encrypt --password=yourSecretKey .env

Decrypt Command

Decrypt previously encrypted environment files:

env_builder decrypt --password=yourSecretKey .env.encrypted

Version Command

Displays version information:

env_builder version
# or
env_builder --version

Aliases:

• --version, -v

Displays:

• CLI version (from pubspec.yaml)
• Dart SDK version
• Tool description
• Homepage URL

Environment File Format

Create .env files in your project root:

# .env.development
BASE_URL=https://dev-api.example.com
API_KEY=dev_key_123
DEBUG=true

# .env.production
BASE_URL=https://api.example.com
API_KEY=prod_key_456
DEBUG=false

Generated Code

The tool generates type-safe Dart classes:

// env.development.dart
import 'package:envied/envied.dart';

part 'env.development.g.dart';

@Envied(path: '.env.development')
abstract class EnvDevelopment {
  @EnviedField(varName: 'BASE_URL')
  static const String baseUrl = _EnvDevelopment.baseUrl;

  @EnviedField(varName: 'API_KEY', obfuscate: true)
  static final String apiKey = _EnvDevelopment.apiKey;

  @EnviedField(varName: 'DEBUG')
  static const bool debug = _EnvDevelopment.debug;
}

Flutter Integration

In your Flutter app, use the generated environments:

import 'package:env/env.dart';

// Access environment variables
final appFlavor = AppFlavor.production();

class ApiService {
    final appBaseUrl = appFlavor.getEnv(Env.baseUrl);
    final apikey = appFlavor.getEnv(Env.apiKey);
}

Project Structure

After running the build command, your project structure will look like:

your-flutter-project/
├── packages/
│   └── env/
│       ├── .env.development
│       ├── .env.production
│       ├── env.development.dart
│       ├── env.production.dart
│       ├── env.dart (barrel export)
│       ├── env.g.dart (enum definitions)
│       └── pubspec.yaml
├── .env.development
├── .env.production
├── pubspec.yaml (updated with env dependency)
└── lib/
    └── main.dart

Security Best Practices

1. Never commit .env files - Add them to .gitignore
2. Use encryption for sensitive production variables
3. Store secrets securely in your CI/CD platform
4. Use different keys for different environments
5. Rotate secrets regularly

Examples

Check the example/ directory for a complete working example.

To run the example:

cd example
flutter pub get
# The .env file already exists
env_builder build --env-file=.env
flutter run

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for details.

License

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

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Made with ❤️ for the Flutter community