env-file-formatting.mdc

---
description: Node/Docker env formatting — double quotes for non-empty values; K8s source/*.env is unquoted
globs:
  - "**/.env"
  - "**/.env.*"
  - "**/.env.example"
  - "infra/config/local/*.env"
  - "dev/env-overrides/local/*.env"
  - "dev/env-overrides/alpha/*.env"
alwaysApply: false
---

# Environment File Formatting

## Node / Docker env files

Applies to app `.env.example`, `infra/config/env-templates/*.env.example`,
`infra/config/local/*.env`, and `dev/env-overrides/**/*.env`.

- **Non-empty values**: Use double quotes (e.g. `API_PORT="3000"`).
- **Empty/unset values**: No value after `=` (e.g. `OPTIONAL_VAR=`).
- **Alignment**: When creating or editing generated env files, follow variable order and grouping from canonical templates/examples in [`infra/config/env-templates/`](/infra/config/env-templates) and app `.env.example` files. Only values may differ.
- **Order (mixed files)**: When a file mixes server-side keys with `NEXT_PUBLIC_*`, put **all non-`NEXT_PUBLIC_*` assignments first**, blank line, then all `NEXT_PUBLIC_*`. See `.cursor/skills/env-file-formatting/SKILL.md`.

Correct: `DATABASE_HOST="localhost"`, `EMPTY_VALUE=`. Incorrect: `DATABASE_HOST=localhost`, `EMPTY_VALUE=""`.

## K8s `source/*.env` (exception)

`infra/k8s/**/source/*.env` is **not** covered by the double-quote rule above. Use **unquoted**
values: `DB_PORT=5432`, `NODE_ENV=production`, `LOG_DIR=`. See
`.cursor/skills/env-file-formatting/SKILL.md` and [infra/k8s/INFRA-K8S-BASE.md](/infra/k8s/INFRA-K8S-BASE.md).