Fix API endpoint configuration with environment-aware URLs

- Add environment-based API URL configuration (dev: localhost:8000, prod: api.pennyzo.com)
- Update PennyzoApiService to use centralized config with timeout settings
- Fix API status checker scripts to load .env variables using dotenv
- Add environment management scripts (set-env.ps1) with npm shortcuts
- Create comprehensive configuration testing and validation tools
- Add TypeScript definitions for Vite environment variables
- Update all documentation with new environment configuration instructions
- Install dotenv package for Node.js environment variable loading
- All APIs now correctly use environment-appropriate URLs automatically

scripts/api-status-checker.js

@@ -5,11 +5,18 @@
  * and logs the results to the console.
  */
 
+// Load environment variables from .env file
+require('dotenv').config();
+
 const axios = require('axios');
 const chalk = require('chalk'); // For colorful console output
 
-// Define the base URL
-const BASE_URL = 'https://api.pennyzo.com/api/v1/general';
+// Define the base URL based on environment
+const BASE_URL = process.env.VITE_API_BASE_URL || 
+                 process.env.API_BASE_URL || 
+                 (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production' ? 
+                   'https://api.pennyzo.com/api/v1/general' : 
+                   'http://localhost:8000');
 
 // Test credentials (replace with actual test credentials if available)
 const TEST_CREDENTIALS = {