Question 1

How to parse environment variables into slices with env Go?

Accepted Answer

Use the `env` tag on a slice field, and optionally specify a `delimiter` tag for custom separators, as shown in the example with PEERS parsed from a comma-separated string.

Question 2

env vs viper for Go configuration – which should I use?

Accepted Answer

env is lightweight and focused solely on environment variables with struct tags, ideal for simple, type-safe configs. Viper supports multiple sources like files and flags, better for complex, dynamic configurations.

Question 3

How to set up required fields in env Go library?

Accepted Answer

Add `required:"true"` to the struct tag, like `env:"PORT" required:"true"`; if the variable is missing, env.Set returns an error during parsing.

Question 4

Does env support custom delimiters for slice parsing?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can use the `delimiter` tag to specify a separator, for example `delimiter:" "` for space-separated values, as mentioned in the README comments.

Question 5

How to handle time.Duration with env in Go?

Accepted Answer

Simply define a field of type time.Duration with an `env` tag; env automatically parses string values like "10s" into the correct duration, as shown in the ConnectionTimeout example.

Question 6

What are the limitations of env Go library?

Accepted Answer

It doesn't support nested structs, has only basic validation, and requires accurate struct tags. For advanced features like hot reloading, consider libraries like Viper.

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