How to create env file and access the environment variables in node js application

Node.js is a powerful JavaScript runtime that allows you to build server-side applications. One common task in Node.js applications is managing environment variables. Environment variables are values that are accessible to your application and are often used for configuration settings, API keys, and credentials.

One best practice for managing environment variables in Node.js applications is to use an env file. This allows you to store all your environment variables in one place and easily access them within your application.

Creating an env file

To create an env file, you can simply create a new file in the root directory of your Node.js application and name it “.env”. Inside the env file, you can define your environment variables in the following format:

  
    API_KEY=your_api_key
    DATABASE_URL=your_database_url
  

Replace “your_api_key” and “your_database_url” with the actual values for your environment variables.

Accessing environment variables in your Node.js application

Once you have created your env file, you can access the environment variables within your Node.js application using the “process.env” object. For example, to access the API_KEY environment variable, you would use the following code:

  
    const apiKey = process.env.API_KEY;
  

You can then use the “apiKey” variable in your application to access the API key value. Similarly, you can access other environment variables defined in your env file using the “process.env” object.

It is important to note that environment variables defined in the env file are only accessible within the Node.js application. They are not accessible to the outside world, which helps to keep sensitive information secure.

Conclusion

Using an env file to manage environment variables in your Node.js application is a best practice that helps to keep your configuration settings organized and secure. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily create an env file and access the environment variables within your Node.js application.