Envify

The .env toolkit for VS Code — convert .env to JSON, YAML, shell, docker-compose and Kubernetes, keep .env in sync with .env.example, and get syntax highlighting, linting, quick fixes and formatting for .env files. Zero dependencies, 100% offline.

Support Further Development

Features

Convert

• .env → JSON and JSON → .env — in place, in a new tab, or straight to the clipboard
• .env → YAML, shell script, docker-compose environment:, Kubernetes ConfigMap / Secret — pick a target from one command
• Selection support — select a few lines to convert only those
• Options — infer JSON types, nested keys (DB__HOST ⇄ {"DB":{"HOST":…}}), variable expansion (${VAR}), key sorting, quoting style

.env.example

• Generate .env.example — same keys, comments and layout, values blanked out
• Compare with .env.example — see which keys are missing, empty or extra, and add the missing ones in one click
• Missing keys show up as a warning in the Problems panel whenever a .env file is open, plus a code lens on the first line — 3 keys missing from .env.example | Add

Compare .env files

• Compare .env.local with .env.production (or any two files) side by side — keys are sorted and values quoted the same way, so only real differences show up
• See what differs at a glance — keys that exist in only one file and keys with different values, with one click to add the missing keys to either file

Language support for .env

• Syntax highlighting for keys, values, quotes, escapes, ${VAR} references, export and comments
• Diagnostics — invalid lines, duplicate keys, unquoted values with spaces, unclosed quotes, undefined references
• Quick fixes — wrap in quotes, remove duplicate, close quote, comment out, add missing keys
• Hover — see a key's value, and ${VAR} references resolved from the same file
• Autocomplete — type ${ in a value to pick from the keys defined in the same file (key names only; values are never shown in the suggestion list)
• Snippet — env-block inserts a commented group of keys sharing a prefix
• Format Document — trims whitespace around =, collapses blank lines, ensures a trailing newline (works with Format on Save)

Usage

Command Palette

Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac) and search for:

Keyboard Shortcuts

Right-Click Menu

Right-click in the editor and open the Envify submenu for every command. In the Explorer, right-click a .env file for Generate .env.example, Compare with .env.example and Compare .env Files… — select two files first to compare them directly.

Examples

.env → JSON

# Database
DATABASE_URL=postgres://localhost:5432/mydb
export API_KEY=sk-1234567890 # inline comments are dropped
DEBUG=true
APP_NAME="My App"
PRIVATE_KEY="-----BEGIN KEY-----
abc
-----END KEY-----"

{
  "DATABASE_URL": "postgres://localhost:5432/mydb",
  "API_KEY": "sk-1234567890",
  "DEBUG": "true",
  "APP_NAME": "My App",
  "PRIVATE_KEY": "-----BEGIN KEY-----\nabc\n-----END KEY-----"
}

With envify.json.inferTypes on, DEBUG becomes true (a boolean) and PORT=3000 becomes 3000. Quoted values always stay strings.

Nested keys

With envify.nestedSeparator set to __:

DB__HOST=localhost
DB__PORT=5432

{ "DB": { "HOST": "localhost", "PORT": "5432" } }

Converting nested JSON back to .env flattens it the same way. With the separator left empty, nested objects are stringified: CONFIG='{"a":1}'.

Variable expansion

With envify.expandVariables on:

HOST=db
URL=postgres://${HOST}:5432
FALLBACK=${MISSING:-default}
LITERAL='${HOST}'

{ "HOST": "db", "URL": "postgres://db:5432", "FALLBACK": "default", "LITERAL": "${HOST}" }

Supports ${VAR}, $VAR, ${VAR:-default}, ${VAR-default} and \$ for a literal dollar. Single-quoted values are never expanded. Only keys in the same file are used — the process environment is not consulted.

Other targets

Envify: Convert .env to… opens the result in a new tab:

# docker-compose
environment:
  DATABASE_URL: postgres://localhost:5432/mydb
  DEBUG: "true"

# Kubernetes Secret
apiVersion: v1
kind: Secret
metadata:
  name: app-secret
type: Opaque
data:
  DATABASE_URL: cG9zdGdyZXM6Ly9sb2NhbGhvc3Q6NTQzMi9teWRi

# Shell
export DATABASE_URL='postgres://localhost:5432/mydb'

Compare .env files

Envify: Compare .env Files… lists the other .env* files in the same folder (or lets you browse), then opens a diff where both sides are normalised:

# .env.local                        # .env.production
API_URL=http://localhost:3000       API_URL=https://api.example.com
DEBUG=true
SENTRY_DSN=""                       SENTRY_DSN=https://abc@sentry.io/1

Comments, export, ordering and quoting style are ignored. The diff updates while you edit either file.

.env.example

# Database
DATABASE_URL=
export API_KEY= # inline comments are dropped
DEBUG=
APP_NAME=
PRIVATE_KEY=

Settings

Parsing rules

• Blank lines and # comments are skipped; export KEY=value is accepted
• Unquoted values end at # (a # preceded by whitespace), so COLOR=#ff0000 keeps its value
• Double-quoted values resolve \n, \r, \t, \" and \\; single-quoted values are literal
• Quoted values may span multiple lines
• When a key is defined twice, the last value wins (and a warning is shown)
• Keys must match [A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*; other lines are reported and skipped

Privacy & Security

Envify works 100% offline. Your .env secrets never leave your machine.

• No network requests — no data is sent to any server
• No telemetry or analytics
• No file writes except .env.example when you ask for it
• Besides the open editor, the only files read are the sibling .env.example and the files you pick in Compare .env Files (which lists the .env* file names in the same folder to offer them)
• Zero runtime dependencies — no third-party code runs behind the scenes
• Source code is open and auditable on GitHub

License

MIT