feat: add config module to load API URL from .env file across all platforms

Author: ralyodio

.env.example

@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 # Server configuration
 PORT=3000
 
+# API configuration
+API_BASE_URL=https://profullstack.com/pdf
+
 # Puppeteer configuration
 # If not set, the application will try to auto-detect the Chrome path based on the environment
 # Production path example:

README-native-apps.md

@@ -46,39 +46,66 @@ The desktop app uses Electron to load the PWA from the production website. It pr
 
 See the [Desktop README](./desktop/README.md) for detailed instructions on building and running the desktop app.
 
-## Customization
+## Configuration
 
-All apps can be easily customized to point to different environments (development, staging, production) by modifying the URL in the respective WebView implementation.
+All apps are configured to load the PWA URL from the `API_BASE_URL` variable in the project's root `.env` file. This allows you to easily switch between different environments (development, staging, production) by modifying a single configuration file.
 
-### iOS URL Configuration
+### .env Configuration
 
-In `ios/PDFConverter/PDFConverter/ViewController.swift`:
+In the project root's `.env` file:
+
+```
+API_BASE_URL=https://profullstack.com/pdf
+```
+
+### How Each App Reads the Configuration
+
+#### iOS App
+
+The iOS app uses a `Config.swift` file that reads from the `.env` file in the project root:
 
 ```swift
-private func loadWebsite() {
-    if let url = URL(string: "https://profullstack.com/pdf") {
-        let request = URLRequest(url: url)
-        webView.load(request)
-    }
+// In Config.swift
+static let apiBaseURL: String = {
+    // Try to read from .env file in the project root
+    // Falls back to default URL if not found
+}()
+
+// In ViewController.swift
+if let url = URL(string: Config.apiBaseURL) {
+    let request = URLRequest(url: url)
+    webView.load(request)
 }
 ```
 
-### Android URL Configuration
+#### Android App
 
-In `android/PDFConverter/app/src/main/java/com/profullstack/pdfconverter/MainActivity.kt`:
+The Android app uses a `Config.kt` file that reads from the `.env` file in the project root:
 
 ```kotlin
-// URL of the PWA
-private val pwaUrl = "https://profullstack.com/pdf"
+// In Config.kt
+fun getApiBaseUrl(context: Context): String {
+    // Try to read from .env file in the project root
+    // Falls back to default URL if not found
+}
+
+// In MainActivity.kt
+pwaUrl = Config.getApiBaseUrl(this)
 ```
 
-### Desktop URL Configuration
+#### Desktop App
 
-In `desktop/src/main.js`:
+The desktop app uses a `config.js` file that reads from the `.env` file in the project root:
 
 ```javascript
-// URL of the PWA
-const pwaUrl = 'https://profullstack.com/pdf';
+// In config.js
+function getApiBaseUrl() {
+    // Try to read from .env file in the project root
+    // Falls back to default URL if not found
+}
+
+// In main.js
+const pwaUrl = getApiBaseUrl();
 ```
 
 ## Benefits of Native WebView Apps

android/PDFConverter/app/src/main/java/com/profullstack/pdfconverter/Config.kt

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+package com.profullstack.pdfconverter
+
+import android.content.Context
+import java.io.File
+import java.io.FileInputStream
+import java.util.Properties
+
+object Config {
+    // Default fallback URL
+    private const val DEFAULT_API_BASE_URL = "https://profullstack.com/pdf"
+    
+    // Get API base URL from .env file
+    fun getApiBaseUrl(context: Context): String {
+        try {
+            // Try to find the .env file in the project root
+            // First, try to find it relative to the app's files directory
+            val appDir = context.filesDir.parentFile?.parentFile?.parentFile?.parentFile?.parentFile
+            val envFile = File(appDir, ".env")
+            
+            if (envFile.exists()) {
+                return parseEnvFile(envFile)
+            }
+            
+            // If not found, try to find it in external storage (for development)
+            val externalDir = context.getExternalFilesDir(null)?.parentFile?.parentFile?.parentFile?.parentFile
+            val externalEnvFile = File(externalDir, ".env")
+            
+            if (externalEnvFile.exists()) {
+                return parseEnvFile(externalEnvFile)
+            }
+        } catch (e: Exception) {
+            e.printStackTrace()
+        }
+        
+        // Return default URL if .env file not found or error occurs
+        return DEFAULT_API_BASE_URL
+    }
+    
+    private fun parseEnvFile(envFile: File): String {
+        val properties = Properties()
+        FileInputStream(envFile).use { input ->
+            properties.load(input)
+        }
+        
+        // Get API_BASE_URL from properties
+        val apiBaseUrl = properties.getProperty("API_BASE_URL")
+        
+        // Return the URL if found, otherwise return default
+        return apiBaseUrl ?: DEFAULT_API_BASE_URL
+    }
+}

android/PDFConverter/app/src/main/java/com/profullstack/pdfconverter/MainActivity.kt

@@ -13,15 +13,18 @@ import androidx.swiperefreshlayout.widget.SwipeRefreshLayout
 class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
     private lateinit var webView: WebView
     private lateinit var swipeRefreshLayout: SwipeRefreshLayout
+    // URL of the PWA - will be loaded from .env file
+    private lateinit var pwaUrl: String
 
-    // URL of the PWA
-    private val pwaUrl = "https://profullstack.com/pdf"
 
     @SuppressLint("SetJavaScriptEnabled")
     override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
         super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
         setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)
 
+        // Get API base URL from .env file
+        pwaUrl = Config.getApiBaseUrl(this)
+        
         // Initialize WebView
         webView = findViewById(R.id.webView)
         swipeRefreshLayout = findViewById(R.id.swipeRefreshLayout)

android/README.md

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ A simple Android app that uses WebView to load the PDF Converter PWA from the pr
 
 ## Features
 
-- Loads the PWA from https://profullstack.com/pdf
+- Loads the PWA from the URL specified in the project's root .env file
 - Supports all PWA features through WebView
 - Pull-to-refresh functionality
 - Handles back navigation within the WebView
@@ -27,17 +27,51 @@ A simple Android app that uses WebView to load the PDF Converter PWA from the pr
 ## Project Structure
 
 - `MainActivity.kt`: Main activity with WebView implementation
+- `Config.kt`: Configuration class that reads from the .env file
 - `activity_main.xml`: Main layout with WebView and SwipeRefreshLayout
 - `AndroidManifest.xml`: App configuration and permissions
 - `build.gradle`: Project and app-level build configurations
 
-## Customization
+## Configuration
 
-To change the URL of the PWA, modify the `pwaUrl` variable in `MainActivity.kt`:
+The app reads the PWA URL from the `API_BASE_URL` variable in the project's root `.env` file. This allows you to easily switch between different environments (development, staging, production) by modifying a single configuration file.
+
+### How It Works
+
+The `Config.kt` file reads the API_BASE_URL from the .env file:
+
+```kotlin
+// In Config.kt
+object Config {
+    // Default fallback URL
+    private const val DEFAULT_API_BASE_URL = "https://profullstack.com/pdf"
+    
+    // Get API base URL from .env file
+    fun getApiBaseUrl(context: Context): String {
+        // Try to find and parse the .env file
+        // ...parsing logic...
+        
+        // Return default URL if .env file not found or error occurs
+        return DEFAULT_API_BASE_URL
+    }
+}
+```
+
+And the MainActivity uses this configuration:
 
 ```kotlin
-// URL of the PWA
-private val pwaUrl = "https://profullstack.com/pdf"
+// In MainActivity.kt
+private lateinit var pwaUrl: String
+
+override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
+    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
+    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)
+    
+    // Get API base URL from .env file
+    pwaUrl = Config.getApiBaseUrl(this)
+    
+    // ...rest of the code...
+}
 ```
 
 ## Additional WebView Settings

desktop/README.md

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ A cross-platform desktop application that wraps the PDF Converter PWA in an Elec
 
 ## Features
 
-- Loads the PWA from https://profullstack.com/pdf
+- Loads the PWA from the URL specified in the project's root .env file
 - Native desktop integration
 - Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux)
 - Custom application menu
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ A cross-platform desktop application that wraps the PDF Converter PWA in an Elec
 
 - Node.js 16.x or later
 - npm or yarn
+- dotenv (for .env file parsing)
 
 ## Getting Started
 
@@ -72,15 +73,59 @@ This will generate:
 - Debian package (.deb)
 - RPM package (.rpm)
 
-## Customization
+## Configuration
 
-### PWA URL
+The app reads the PWA URL from the `API_BASE_URL` variable in the project's root `.env` file. This allows you to easily switch between different environments (development, staging, production) by modifying a single configuration file.
 
-To change the URL of the PWA, modify the `pwaUrl` variable in `src/main.js`:
+### .env Configuration
+
+In the project root's `.env` file:
+
+```
+API_BASE_URL=https://profullstack.com/pdf
+```
+
+### How It Works
+
+The `config.js` file reads the API_BASE_URL from the .env file:
 
 ```javascript
-// URL of the PWA
-const pwaUrl = 'https://profullstack.com/pdf';
+// In src/config.js
+function getApiBaseUrl() {
+  try {
+    // Try to find the .env file in the project root
+    const rootPath = path.resolve(__dirname, '../../');
+    const envPath = path.join(rootPath, '.env');
+    
+    if (fs.existsSync(envPath)) {
+      // Parse .env file
+      const envConfig = dotenv.parse(fs.readFileSync(envPath));
+      
+      // Return API_BASE_URL if found
+      if (envConfig.API_BASE_URL) {
+        return envConfig.API_BASE_URL;
+      }
+    }
+    
+    // Check environment variables as fallback
+    // ...
+    
+    // Return default URL if not found
+    return DEFAULT_API_BASE_URL;
+  } catch (error) {
+    // Handle errors
+  }
+}
+```
+
+And the main.js uses this configuration:
+
+```javascript
+// In src/main.js
+const { getApiBaseUrl } = require('./config');
+
+// URL of the PWA - loaded from .env file
+const pwaUrl = getApiBaseUrl();
 ```
 
 ### Application Icons
@@ -93,6 +138,7 @@ Replace the placeholder icon files in the `assets` directory with your own icons
 ## Project Structure
 
 - `src/main.js`: Main process script
+- `src/config.js`: Configuration module that reads from the .env file
 - `src/preload.js`: Preload script for secure renderer process
 - `assets/`: Application icons and resources
 - `package.json`: Project configuration and dependencies

desktop/package.json

@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
     "electron": "^25.0.0",
     "electron-builder": "^24.0.0"
   },
+  "dependencies": {
+    "dotenv": "^16.0.3"
+  },
   "build": {
     "appId": "com.profullstack.pdfconverter",
     "productName": "PDF Converter",

desktop/src/config.js

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
+const dotenv = require('dotenv');
+
+// Default fallback URL
+const DEFAULT_API_BASE_URL = 'https://profullstack.com/pdf';
+
+// Function to get API base URL from .env file
+function getApiBaseUrl() {
+  try {
+    // Try to find the .env file in the project root
+    const rootPath = path.resolve(__dirname, '../../');
+    const envPath = path.join(rootPath, '.env');
+    
+    if (fs.existsSync(envPath)) {
+      // Parse .env file
+      const envConfig = dotenv.parse(fs.readFileSync(envPath));
+      
+      // Return API_BASE_URL if found
+      if (envConfig.API_BASE_URL) {
+        return envConfig.API_BASE_URL;
+      }
+    }
+    
+    // If .env file not found or API_BASE_URL not set, check environment variables
+    if (process.env.API_BASE_URL) {
+      return process.env.API_BASE_URL;
+    }
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Error reading .env file:', error);
+  }
+  
+  // Return default URL if .env file not found or error occurs
+  return DEFAULT_API_BASE_URL;
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  getApiBaseUrl
+};

desktop/src/main.js

@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 const { app, BrowserWindow, Menu, shell } = require('electron');
 const path = require('path');
+const { getApiBaseUrl } = require('./config');
 
-// URL of the PWA
-const pwaUrl = 'https://profullstack.com/pdf';
+// URL of the PWA - loaded from .env file
+const pwaUrl = getApiBaseUrl();
 
 // Keep a global reference of the window object to prevent it from being garbage collected
 let mainWindow;