Setting Up a .env File (Optional)

This step is optional but recommended for convenience.

A .env file can help you manage environment-specific variables more efficiently, without hardcoding sensitive information into your project files. This setup is particularly useful for differentiating between development and production environments. Here's how you can set up a .env file in your project's root folder:

1. Navigate to the root directory of your project. In JupyterLab, this is typically the starting point.

2. Create a file named .env in this directory.

3. Open the .env file with your preferred text editor.

4. Add your environment-specific variables in the format KEY=VALUE.

Example entries for your .env file might include:

FINTER_API_KEY='your_finter_api_key' # Necessary for using Finter services.

GITHUB_REPO_OWNER='your_github_username' # For syncing your modeling code, not mandatory.
GITHUB_REPO_NAME='your_repository_name' # Helps to manage your codebase, optional.
GITHUB_BRANCH_NAME='your_branch_name' # Specifies the branch to use, optional.
GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN='your_github_api_token' # Required for accessing your GitHub repo programmatically, optional.

Remember, the use of the .env file and the inclusion of specific keys like FINTER_API_KEY for Finter services or GitHub repository details are not mandatory but are provided to streamline your project setup and enhance security by keeping sensitive information out of your main codebase.