What is env in Python?

A text file called a .env file stores key-value pairs for each environment variable your application needs. You can use environment variables for local development using a .env file without contaminating the global environment namespace.

Python environment variables exist outside your code and as part of your current user’s or system’s configuration. Environment variables characterize key-value pairs of data where the key is the environment variable name, and the value is the environment variable value that can be accessed through your code.

In Python, env is short for “environment.” It refers to the collection of variables, settings, and other system information that define the current runtime environment for a Python program.

env is often used in the context of setting and accessing environment variables, which are specific values that can be used to configure a program’s behavior based on the current environment. Environment variables can be set and accessed using the os.environ dictionary in Python.