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Overview

The get_duplicates tool identifies two types of issues:
  1. Value conflicts: Environment variables defined with different values across multiple .env files
  2. Similar names: Variable names that might represent the same concept (e.g., DB_URL vs DATABASE_URL)

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Parameters

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projectPath
string
Path to the project directory. Defaults to current working directory.

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Response

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duplicates
array
required
Array of duplicate groups (both value conflicts and similar names)
​
valueConflicts
number
required
Number of variables with value conflicts
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similarNameGroups
number
required
Number of similar name groups detected
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metadata
object
required
Scan metadata

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Example Response

{
  "duplicates": [
    {
      "variableName": "DATABASE_URL",
      "type": "value_conflict",
      "values": [
        {
          "file": ".env.development",
          "value": "postgresql://localhost:5432/dev_db"
        },
        {
          "file": ".env.staging",
          "value": "postgresql://staging.example.com:5432/staging_db"
        },
        {
          "file": ".env.production",
          "value": "postgresql://prod.example.com:5432/prod_db"
        }
      ],
      "recommendation": "Consolidate DATABASE_URL to have the same value across all .env files, or use environment-specific values intentionally."
    },
    {
      "variableName": "API_KEY",
      "type": "value_conflict",
      "values": [
        {
          "file": ".env",
          "value": "sk_test_abc123"
        },
        {
          "file": ".env.local",
          "value": "sk_test_xyz789"
        }
      ],
      "recommendation": "Consolidate API_KEY to have the same value across all .env files, or use environment-specific values intentionally."
    },
    {
      "variableName": "DATABASE_URL",
      "type": "similar_name",
      "similarNames": [
        "DATABASE_URL",
        "DB_URL",
        "DATABASE_URI"
      ],
      "recommendation": "Consider standardizing these variable names: DATABASE_URL, DB_URL, DATABASE_URI. They may represent the same concept."
    },
    {
      "variableName": "REDIS_HOST",
      "type": "similar_name",
      "similarNames": [
        "REDIS_HOST",
        "REDIS_HOSTNAME"
      ],
      "recommendation": "Consider standardizing these variable names: REDIS_HOST, REDIS_HOSTNAME. They may represent the same concept."
    }
  ],
  "valueConflicts": 2,
  "similarNameGroups": 2,
  "metadata": {
    "projectPath": "/Users/dev/my-project",
    "scannedFiles": 156,
    "cacheHit": false,
    "duration": 203
  }
}

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Usage Example

AI assistants can use this tool to identify and resolve duplicate issues: 
{
  "name": "get_duplicates",
  "arguments": {
    "projectPath": "/path/to/project"
  }
}
Minimal call: 
{
  "name": "get_duplicates",
  "arguments": {}
}

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Conflict Types

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Value Conflicts

Occurs when the same variable name is defined in multiple .env files with different values. This can indicate:
  • Intentional: Environment-specific configuration (dev vs staging vs prod)
  • Unintentional: Copy-paste errors or outdated values that should be synchronized
The tool reports all conflicts and lets you decide which are intentional.

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Similar Names

Detects variable names that are similar and might represent the same concept:
  • DATABASE_URL vs DB_URL vs DATABASE_URI
  • REDIS_HOST vs REDIS_HOSTNAME
  • API_KEY vs APIKEY
  • SMTP_USER vs SMTP_USERNAME
These often indicate:
  • Inconsistent naming conventions
  • Legacy variables that weren’t fully migrated
  • Different developers using different conventions

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Similarity Detection

The tool detects similar names using:
  1. Edit distance: Names that differ by only a few characters
  2. Common variations: URL/URI, HOST/HOSTNAME, USER/USERNAME, etc.
  3. Abbreviations: DB/DATABASE, API/APIKEY, etc.
  4. Underscore variations: Different separator patterns

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Use Cases

  • Environment Sync: Ensure consistent configuration across development, staging, and production
  • Naming Standards: Identify inconsistent variable naming that should be standardized
  • Migration: Find legacy variable names during codebase refactoring
  • Configuration Review: Audit all .env files for conflicts before deployment
  • Team Collaboration: Prevent different team members from creating similar variables

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Recommendations

For value conflicts:
  • If intentional (different environments), consider using different .env files per environment
  • If unintentional, consolidate to a single value or ensure synchronization
  • Document why different values exist
For similar names:
  • Choose one canonical name and migrate all usages
  • Update code to use the standardized name
  • Add the standardized name to .env.example with documentation
  • Remove or deprecate the old variations

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