Merge pull request #600 from dotenvx/cli-for-react-native

add cli support

Author: motdotla

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -2,7 +2,17 @@
 
 All notable changes to this project are documented in this file.
 
-## [Unreleased](https://github.com/dotenvx/react-native-dotenv/compare/v4.1.1...main)
+## [Unreleased](https://github.com/dotenvx/react-native-dotenv/compare/v5.0.0...main)
+
+### Fixed
+
+- Update vulnerable `brace-expansion` and `js-yaml` dependencies to patched versions and raise the `brace-expansion` override minimum to 5.0.9.
+
+## [5.0.0](https://github.com/dotenvx/react-native-dotenv/compare/v4.1.1...v5.0.0) (2026-09-21)
+
+### Added
+
+- Add support for `dotenv run` to share environment variables between build tooling and `@env` imports, including file precedence, safe mode, and Metro restart requirements.
 
 ## [4.1.1](https://github.com/dotenvx/react-native-dotenv/compare/v4.1.0...v4.1.1) (2026-07-28)
 

README.md

@@ -56,6 +56,51 @@ That's it. Your environment variables from `.env` are available via `@env`!
 
 ## Advanced
 
+<details><summary>with the dotenv CLI</summary><br>
+
+Use dotenv v18's `dotenv run` command when you want the same environment variables available to build tooling and your app's `@env` imports. The Babel plugin still inlines values into the app at build time.
+
+Install dotenv directly so your package manager makes its CLI available to your project scripts:
+
+```sh
+npm install --save-dev dotenv@^18.0.1
+```
+
+Select a file when starting Metro:
+
+```json
+{
+  "scripts": {
+    "start:staging": "dotenv run -f .env.staging -- react-native start --reset-cache"
+  }
+}
+```
+
+```ini
+# .env.staging
+API_URL=https://staging.example.org
+```
+
+Keep the Babel plugin configured as shown in Usage, then import normally:
+
+```js
+import { API_URL } from '@env'
+
+fetch(`${API_URL}/users`)
+```
+
+The CLI loads the selected file into the process environment before Metro starts. Existing shell/CI values win unless you pass `--override` to `dotenv run`. The plugin then gives non-empty process environment values priority over its own `.env` files.
+
+The plugin still loads its usual files; `-f` selects the CLI's file, not the plugin's `path` or `APP_ENV`. This can change precedence: plain `dotenv run` loads `.env` into the process environment, so those values win over the plugin's `.env.local` values. Use the CLI when you intend its injected values to take priority.
+
+With the default `safe: false`, keys loaded only by the CLI work through `@env` imports. With `safe: true`, those keys must also appear in files the plugin reads. Likewise, `process.env.X` is only inlined for keys in the plugin's files (plus `NODE_ENV`, `BABEL_ENV`, and `envName`).
+
+Stop Metro and rerun the script after changing CLI-loaded values; its process environment is set at startup. The script resets Metro's cache when restarting.
+
+The CLI is optional. For values used only by app code, the Babel plugin can continue loading `.env` files on its own.
+
+</details>
+
 <details><summary>with Expo 🧭</summary><br>
 
 ```js

package-lock.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "react-native-dotenv",
-  "version": "4.1.1",
+  "version": "5.0.0",
   "description": "Load .env into React Native with import statements. A Babel plugin that inlines environment variables at build time.",
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
@@ -26,15 +26,15 @@
     "12factor"
   ],
   "dependencies": {
-    "dotenv": "^17.4.2"
+    "dotenv": "^18.0.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@babel/core": "^7.29.7",
     "jest": "30.4.2",
     "standard": "^17.1.2"
   },
   "overrides": {
-    "brace-expansion": "^5.0.8",
+    "brace-expansion": "^5.0.9",
     "minimatch": "^10.2.5"
   },
   "author": "@motdotla",

package.json

@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+const { execFileSync } = require('child_process')
+const fs = require('fs')
+const os = require('os')
+const path = require('path')
+
+describe('dotenv run integration', () => {
+  let directory
+  let env
+  const dotenvPackagePath = require.resolve('dotenv/package.json')
+  const cli = path.resolve(path.dirname(dotenvPackagePath), require(dotenvPackagePath).bin.dotenv)
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    directory = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'react-native-dotenv-cli-'))
+    env = { ...process.env }
+    for (const key of Object.keys(env)) {
+      if (/^(DOTENV_|RN_DOTENV_CLI_)/.test(key) || ['NODE_ENV', 'BABEL_ENV', 'APP_ENV'].includes(key)) {
+        delete env[key]
+      }
+    }
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(directory, '.env'), 'RN_DOTENV_CLI_URL=base\n')
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(directory, '.env.local'), 'RN_DOTENV_CLI_URL=local\n')
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(directory, '.env.staging'), 'RN_DOTENV_CLI_URL=staging\nRN_DOTENV_CLI_ONLY=extra\n')
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    fs.rmSync(directory, { recursive: true, force: true })
+  })
+
+  function transform (args, source, options = {}) {
+    const script = `
+      const { transformSync } = require(${JSON.stringify(require.resolve('@babel/core'))})
+      const result = transformSync(${JSON.stringify(source)}, {
+        configFile: false,
+        babelrc: false,
+        plugins: [[${JSON.stringify(require.resolve('../index.js'))}, ${JSON.stringify({ quiet: true, ...options })}]]
+      })
+      console.log(result.code)
+    `
+    return execFileSync(process.execPath, [cli, 'run', '-q', ...args, '--', process.execPath, '-e', script], {
+      cwd: directory,
+      env,
+      encoding: 'utf8'
+    }).trim()
+  }
+
+  it('inlines CLI values through imports while leaving CLI-only process.env references intact', () => {
+    expect(transform(['-f', '.env.staging'],
+      'import { RN_DOTENV_CLI_URL, RN_DOTENV_CLI_ONLY } from "@env"; console.log(RN_DOTENV_CLI_URL, RN_DOTENV_CLI_ONLY, process.env.RN_DOTENV_CLI_URL, process.env.RN_DOTENV_CLI_ONLY)'
+    )).toBe('console.log("staging", "extra", "staging", process.env.RN_DOTENV_CLI_ONLY);')
+  })
+
+  it('preserves safe mode restrictions on CLI-only imports', () => {
+    expect(transform(['-f', '.env.staging'],
+      'import { RN_DOTENV_CLI_URL, RN_DOTENV_CLI_ONLY } from "@env"; console.log(RN_DOTENV_CLI_URL, RN_DOTENV_CLI_ONLY)',
+      { safe: true }
+    )).toBe('console.log("staging", undefined);')
+  })
+
+  it('gives shell values priority unless the CLI uses --override', () => {
+    env.RN_DOTENV_CLI_URL = 'shell'
+    const source = 'import { RN_DOTENV_CLI_URL } from "@env"; console.log(RN_DOTENV_CLI_URL)'
+    expect(transform(['-f', '.env.staging'], source)).toBe('console.log("shell");')
+    expect(transform(['--override', '-f', '.env.staging'], source)).toBe('console.log("staging");')
+  })
+
+  it('gives CLI-loaded .env values priority over plugin-loaded .env.local values', () => {
+    expect(transform([], 'import { RN_DOTENV_CLI_URL } from "@env"; console.log(RN_DOTENV_CLI_URL)'))
+      .toBe('console.log("base");')
+  })
+})