How to Use Environment Variables in JavaScript with Dotenv

The article by Diana Pham, a developer advocate at Vonage, explains the importance of using environment variables in JavaScript to securely manage sensitive information such as API keys and passwords, instead of hardcoding them into source files. It introduces dotenv, a lightweight library that helps load environment variables from a .env file into Node.js's process.env object, making them globally accessible without exposing them in the code. The article provides a step-by-step guide on using dotenv for sending a WhatsApp message via the Vonage Messages API, detailing the setup of environment variables, installation of necessary dependencies, and execution of the script. Additionally, it highlights best practices for managing multiple environments using dotenv-cli and emphasizes the importance of excluding .env files from source control using .gitignore to ensure secure deployment. The conclusion encourages readers to adopt these practices to prevent exposing sensitive information and invites them to share their own best practices or connect with the author on social media platforms.