Add .env.example and document environment configuration #749
Description
Problem:-
The README lists environment variables required for running OpenCRE:
NEO4J_URL
NO_GEN_EMBEDDINGS
FLASK_CONFIG
DEV_DATABASE_URL
INSECURE_REQUESTS
REDIS_HOST
REDIS_PORT
REDIS_NO_SSL
REDIS_URL
GCP_NATIVE
GOOGLE_SECRET_JSON
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET
LOGIN_ALLOWED_DOMAINS
OpenCRE_gspread_Auth
However, there is no .env.example file in the repository and the README does not clearly instruct New Contributors how to configure them.
This makes onboarding and local setup harder and leads to configuration mistakes.
Proposed Solution:-
Add a .env.example file containing all supported environment variables making it easy to fill.
Update README to instruct users to copy:
cp .env.example .env
Document which variables are required vs optional.
Benefits:-
Easier onboarding for contributors
Standardized configuration pattern
Fewer setup issues
Aligns with common open-source best practices
Willing to contribute:-
I can implement this change and submit a pull request.