# Getting Started with Shelve Cloud for Data Science

## 1. Introduction to Shelve Cloud
[Shelve Cloud](https://www.shelve.cloud/) is a platform designed for **secure secret management** — API keys, tokens, and environment variables — all centralized in one dashboard.
The goal is to secure configurations while making synchronization and team collaboration easier.



## 2. Key Features
1. **Centralized Secret Management**
   Store all your API keys, tokens, and environment variables in a dedicated interface, eliminating scattered `.env` files.

2. **CLI and GitHub Integration**
   - A command-line interface (CLI) lets you inject, sync, and check secrets directly from your terminal.
   - The official GitHub app automatically syncs secrets between Shelve and your repositories or GitHub Actions.

3. **Consistency Across Environments**
   Shelve monitors and alerts you about configuration mismatches between environments (dev, prod, branches).

4. **Team Management and Access Control**
   Invite teammates with different roles (Owner, Admin, Member) to ensure proper permissions.

5. **Fast Navigation**
   Use the keyboard shortcut (**Cmd+K / Ctrl+K**) to quickly search, switch projects, and manage secrets from the UI.



## 3. Step-by-Step Tutorial

### Step 1: Sign Up and Set Up Workspace
- Create an account on Shelve Cloud.
- Configure a **workspace** and invite your teammates.
- Assign roles based on responsibilities.

### Step 2: Create and Manage Projects
- Add a new **project** inside your workspace.
- For each environment (development, production…), add the required secrets (e.g., `STRIPE_SECRET_KEY`, `NUXT_PUBLIC_API_URL`).

### Step 3: Install and Use the CLI
Install the CLI via npm:
```bash
npx nypm add -D @shelve/cli
````

Common tasks with the CLI:

* **Add a secret** to a project or environment.
* **Sync secrets** between Shelve and your local or remote environment.
* **Check consistency** across environments to detect missing secrets.

### Step 4: Integrate with GitHub CI/CD

* Install and enable the official GitHub application for your repository.
* Secrets configured in Shelve are automatically synced with GitHub Actions or repository secrets.

### Step 5: Use the Command Palette in the UI

* Press **Cmd+K or Ctrl+K** to open the command palette.
* Quickly switch projects, update variables, or manage environments without navigating manually.



## 4. Best Practices

* **Never store secrets in plain text** inside your codebase or repository. Always use Shelve Cloud.
* **Separate environments clearly** (dev, test, prod) to ensure security and isolation.
* **Control user access** by assigning the correct roles.
* **Automate secret synchronization** with GitHub for reliable CI/CD pipelines.
* **Regularly check consistency** between environments using Shelve’s built-in monitoring.



## 5. Conclusion

Shelve Cloud is a powerful tool for any data scientist who values **security**, **collaboration**, and **reliability** in secret management.
With its centralized dashboard, intuitive CLI, fine-grained access control, and seamless GitHub integration, it makes deployments safer and smoother.

By following this guide, you will be able to incorporate Shelve Cloud into your projects and workflows with confidence.