I. Overview

Autoenv is a tool that makes it easy to manage your environment variables. With it, you can automatically set environment variables when you enter a directory, and unset them when you leave. This makes it a powerful tool for managing different environments for different projects, and automating repetitive tasks. In this article, we’ll cover how to install Autoenv on different platforms and some usage examples.

II. Installation

Mac

Autoenv can be easily installed on macOS with Homebrew. First, ensure you have Homebrew installed. Then, run the following command:

brew install autoenv

Linux

Autoenv can be installed on Linux systems with apt-get. Run the following command:

sudo apt-get install autoenv

Windows

Autoenv can be installed on Windows using Git Bash or WSL. You can download Git Bash from the Git website or enable WSL on Windows 10. Once installed, you can follow the Linux installation instructions.

III. Usage Examples

Once Autoenv is installed, you can use it to manage environment variables for different projects. Let’s see some examples.

Example 1: Setting Environment Variables

Suppose you are working on a Python project that requires specific environment variables to be set. You can create a .env file in the project directory with the following contents:

export API_KEY=my_api_key
export DATABASE_URL=postgres://user:password@localhost/mydatabase

Now, when you enter the project directory, Autoenv will automatically set these environment variables. You can access them from your Python code using os.environ.

Example 2: Running Commands on Directory Entry

You can also configure Autoenv to run commands when you enter a directory. For example, suppose you always want to activate a virtual environment when you enter a project directory. You can add the following line to the .env file:

source venv/bin/activate

Now, when you enter the project directory, Autoenv will automatically activate the virtual environment.

Example 3: Unsetting Environment Variables

When you leave a directory, Autoenv can also unset the environment variables you set. This is useful for cleaning up after yourself and ensuring that environment variables are not leaked into other projects. To do this, add the following line to the .env file:

unset API_KEY
unset DATABASE_URL

Now, when you leave the project directory, Autoenv will automatically unset the environment variables.

IV. Conclusion

Autoenv is a powerful tool for managing environment variables and automating repetitive tasks. With it, you can easily set and unset environment variables, run commands on directory entry, and more. By installing Autoenv on your system and using it in your projects, you can save time and streamline your workflow.