Lesson 6: private key safety pt.2 - source .env

[danker-dotcom]

When entering source .env into the terminal, I am returned the following :

PRIVATE_KEY: command not found
RPC_URL: command not found

This is the code I have in my .env file:

PRIVATE_KEY = 0xac0974bec39a17e36ba4a6b4d238ff944bacb478cbed5efcae784d7bf4f2ff80
RPC_URL = http://127.0.0.1:8545

I'm guessing this next code wouldn't run w/o getting the previous to work, but ill share the error output anyway:
forge script script/DeploySimpleStorage.s.sol --rpc-url $RPC_URL --broadcast --private-key $PRIVATE_KEY
output:
error: a value is required for '--fork-url <URL>' but none was supplied

When running the codes echo $PRIVATE_KEY , and echo RPC_URL in the terminal, I'm given a blank output.
Also, I am running anvil in the other terminal while i do this.
I was wondering if I have some kind of security setting on in VS Code that is preventing it from being accessed.

[EngrPips]

Hello @danker-dotcom, I want to mention that you should not get into the habit of showing your private key publicly. Is your .env file at the top level of your working directory?

Please show your working directory as I show mine below

[danker-dotcom]

Here is my working directory:

[EngrPips]

Thanks, @danker-dotcom. Correct your code to the below in your .env file, and things should start working fine.

PRIVATE_KEY=0xac0974bec39a17e36ba4a6b4d238ff944bacb478cbed5efcae784d7bf4f2ff80
RPC_URL=http://127.0.0.1:8545

Don't put any space between your variables, = and values.

[danker-dotcom]

Oh shoot my mistake, thank you, it now works.

Also, is there a reason for the echo $PRIVATE_KEY and echo RPC_URL to fetch blank/invisible outputs. A security setting perhaps?

[EngrPips]

Did it still fetch blank after your corrected that mistake?

[danker-dotcom]

You know what, it didn't at first. But I had restarted VS and it then worked. Thanks lots.

[EngrPips]

Anytime, Friend. Keep crushing it.

[dennnis0204]

Must be 'source .env' in CLI before 'echo $PRIVATE_KEY' in my case

[EngrPips]

Yeah that is logical.