Check for and load environment variables from a `.env` file.

.gitignore

@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
 # database
 *.sqlite3
 
-# docker
+# enviornment
+.env
 docker.env
 
 # npm folder

README.md

@@ -78,9 +78,8 @@ redeploy the app (e.g. if there are errors or settings are changed).
 
 A Docker deploy requires [Docker](http://docker.com/) and 
 [Docker Compose](https://docs.docker.com/compose/overview/) to create two
-containers - one for the database and one for the application.
-
-Baby Buddy uses a [multi-stage build](https://docs.docker.com/engine/userguide/eng-image/multistage-build/),
+containers - one for the database and one for the application. Baby Buddy uses a
+[multi-stage build](https://docs.docker.com/engine/userguide/eng-image/multistage-build/),
 which requires Docker version 17.05 or newer.
 
 1. Copy the `docker.env.example` to `docker.env` and set the `ALLOWED_HOSTS` and
@@ -280,7 +279,18 @@ Python 3.x, nginx, uwsgi and sqlite and should be sufficient for a few users
 
 ## Configuration
 
-Environment variables can be used to define a number of configuration settings:
+Environment variables can be used to define a number of configuration settings.
+Baby Buddy will check the application directory structure for an `.env` file or
+take these variables from the system environment. **System environment variables
+take precedence over the contents of an `.env` file.**
+
+- [`ALLOWED_HOSTS`](#allowed_hosts)
+- [`ALLOW_UPLOADS`](#allow_uploads)
+- [`DEBUG`](#debug)
+- [`NAP_START_MAX`](#nap_start_max)
+- [`NAP_START_MIN`](#nap_start_min)
+- [`SECRET_KEY`](#secret_key)
+- [`TIME_ZONE`](#time_zone)
 
 ### `ALLOWED_HOSTS`
 

babybuddy/settings/base.py

@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import os
 
+from dotenv import load_dotenv, find_dotenv
+
 # Build paths inside the project like this: os.path.join(BASE_DIR, ...)
 BASE_DIR = os.path.dirname(
     os.path.dirname(
@@ -9,6 +11,10 @@ BASE_DIR = os.path.dirname(
     )
 )
 
+# Environment variables
+# Check for and load environment variables from a .env file.
+
+load_dotenv(find_dotenv())
 
 # Required settings
 

babybuddy/settings/development.py

@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ from .base import *
 
 SECRET_KEY = 'CHANGE ME'
 DEBUG = True
-TIME_ZONE = 'America/New_York'
 
 
 # Database

babybuddy/wsgi.py

@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-import os
-
 from django.core.wsgi import get_wsgi_application
 
-os.environ.setdefault(
-    "DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE", "babybuddy.settings.development")
+from dotenv import load_dotenv, find_dotenv
+
+# Environment variables
+# Check for and load environment variables from a .env file.
+load_dotenv(find_dotenv())
 
 application = get_wsgi_application()

manage.py

@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
-import os
 import sys
 
+from dotenv import load_dotenv, find_dotenv
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    os.environ.setdefault(
-        "DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE", "babybuddy.settings.development")
+
+    # Environment variables
+    # Check for and load environment variables from a .env file.
+    load_dotenv(find_dotenv())
+
     try:
         from django.core.management import execute_from_command_line
     except ImportError: