Bash - pass environment variables to Node.js process (during command running)

In this article, we would like to show you how to pass environment variables to Node.js process using Bash.

Quick solution (run in Bash):

xxxxxxxxxx

VARIABLE_NAME=VARIABLE_VALUE node script.js

Where:

• VARIABLE_NAME is environment variable name that we want to pass,
• VARIABLE_VALUE is environment variable value that we want to pass,
• script.js is file name that will be executed receiving the environment variable.

Hint: we can use spaces and special characters in variable value by using VARIABLE_NAME="VARIABLE NAME" node script.js construction.

In this example, we pass ADMIN_USERNAME and ADMIN_PASSWORD environment variables into script.js script. Then we access passed variables inside script.js script using process.env property.

script.js file:

xxxxxxxxxx

console.log('Admin username: ' + process.env.ADMIN_USERNAME);

console.log('Admin password: ' + process.env.ADMIN_PASSWORD);

Bash command:

xxxxxxxxxx

ADMIN_USERNAME=admin ADMIN_PASSWORD=admin node script.js

Script output:

xxxxxxxxxx

Admin username: admin

Admin password: admin

1. Node.js - common way to pass environment variables to Node.js process (during command running)

2. cmd.exe - pass environment variables to Node.js process (during command running)

1. Process | Node.js v19.1.0 Documentation