Complete environment variables analysis and documentation

[Copilot]

This PR provides a comprehensive analysis and documentation of all environment variables required for the Curax healthcare chatbot application, addressing critical gaps in the existing .env.example file.

Problem

The existing .env.example file was missing several critical environment variables that are actively used throughout the codebase, potentially causing runtime failures for developers setting up the application. A deep analysis was needed to identify all required variables and their purposes.

Analysis Results

After scanning the entire codebase for process.env references and analyzing configuration files, the following critical variables were found to be missing from .env.example:

• OPENROUTER_API_KEY - Required for AI chat functionality using Gemini 2.5 Flash models
• GROQ_API_KEY - Required for speech-to-text transcription via Groq API
• NEXT_PUBLIC_VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY - Required for web push notifications (client-side)
• VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY - Required for web push notifications (server-side)

Changes Made

1. Updated .env.example

• Added all missing environment variables with proper documentation
• Included setup instructions and links to relevant services
• Commented out XAI_API_KEY as it's not currently used in the codebase
• Improved variable descriptions and organization

2. Created ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLES.md

• Comprehensive documentation of all environment variables
• Usage context for each variable with file references
• Setup priorities (minimum viable vs. full functionality)
• Security considerations and best practices

3. Created ENV_ANALYSIS_SUMMARY.md

• Executive summary of findings
• Quick reference for developers
• Setup priority guidance

Verification

The analysis was verified through:

• Build process testing (confirmed POSTGRES_URL requirement during migration)
• Direct code inspection of API routes using the variables
• Provider configuration analysis for AI services
• GitHub Actions workflow examination

Impact

This update ensures that:

• Developers have a complete reference for environment setup
• No critical functionality is broken due to missing API keys
• Clear guidance is provided for different feature levels
• Troubleshooting is simplified with comprehensive documentation

The application now requires these additional API keys for full functionality, but developers can start with a minimal set for basic features and incrementally add services as needed.

---

💡 You can make Copilot smarter by setting up custom instructions, customizing its development environment and configuring Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. Learn more Copilot coding agent tips in the docs.