# Settings and Python

So, while working on this project I found I was using pydantic (a magnificent library btw.) for one thing and one thing only - settings management. To boot, I was managing a **client secret** and a **tenant id**. Nothing more.

There has to be a simpler way, I thought to my self... and promptly went about switching one dependency for another.

Firstly you'll need some sort of *.env* file in the directory you run your script from (or it could also be exports).

```ini
client_secret = averysecretstringofmanymanycharacters
tenant_id = notsosecretbutnicetokeepoutofsightofpryingeyesanyway
```

Then you need dataclasses, dotenv and os

Code will explain this better than I can.

```python 
"""A settings object."""

from dataclasses import dataclass, field
from dotenv import load_dotenv
import os

load_dotenv()

__all__: list[str] = [
    "SETTINGS"
]

@dataclass
class Settings:
    client_secret: str = field(default="")
    tenant_id: str = field(default="")
    other: str = "someothersetting"

    def __post_init__(self):
        """Read and set the config object."""
        for name, _ in self.__dataclass_fields__.items():
            if match := os.getenv(name):
                setattr(self, name, match)

SETTINGS = Settings()
```

There you go. Your module initializes the **Settings()** on import and exports **SETTINGS**. Couldn't be simpler.

(An added bonus of using a **.env** file is that if you use git and the .gitignore file git provides you'll spare your self the embarrassment of checking in your secrets to github).