dotenv-expand expands variables in your .env file using other variables already defined. Crucially, this happens **before** your application loads the environment variables. It parses your .env content, identifies and substitutes variables referenced within strings, offering dynamic configuration. For example, DB_USER=${USER:-default} becomes DB_USER=your_username, leveraging existing system or defined environment variables. Simplifies managing complex configurations based on your environment.
Dotenv-expand's release frequency is sporadic. Initial releases were in 2016-2019, with occasional versions. 2022 saw more activity, including versions 7, 8, 9 & 10. February 2024 had the highest number of releases (7 versions). The latest release was 12.0.2 in April 2025. August 2025 has no releases so far.
Dotenv-expand npm package downloads show substantial growth. Starting with 15 million downloads in February 2024, they peaked at 89 million in July 2025. August 2025 data is incomplete, showing 59 million downloads, but the overall trend indicates a significant increase in usage over the past year and a half.
