NODE_ENV is showing undefined although i set environment variable

Question

I am using webstorm and i tried to set the environment variable using

set NODE_ENV=development

and when i check the for environment variable using

echo%NODE_ENV%

i get development as the answer.

But in my node application when i check for the variable using

 var b= process.env.NODE_ENV;

i get

b:undefined

I even tried using the following in the package.json file

"start": "set  node ./bin/www && NODE_ENV=production "

still i am getting undefined. I dont know whats the problem here.

Michał Perłakowski · Answer 1 · 2018-02-12T14:16:48.610

3

You should first set the variable and then run the script:

"start": "set NODE_ENV=production&& node ./bin/www"

Note that this will only work on Windows. If you want a cross-platform solution, use the cross-env package:

cross-env NODE_ENV=production node ./bin/www

edited Feb 12 '18 at 14:16

answered Feb 12 '18 at 14:14

Michał Perłakowski

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i tried that at first it didnt work so i switched them but still noot working – PuskarShestha Feb 12 '18 at 14:16
@PuskarShestha You can try the `cross-env` package. – Michał Perłakowski Feb 12 '18 at 14:18
i am currently on windows but I tried that but it is still not working. – PuskarShestha Feb 12 '18 at 14:21
@PuskarShestha What do you get when you `console.log(process.env)`? – Michał Perłakowski Feb 12 '18 at 14:22
i checked the process.env using a debugger and there is no NODE_ENV inside there. seems like the variable hasnt latched itself to the process object – PuskarShestha Feb 12 '18 at 14:31
@PuskarShestha What happens if you use a different variable (for example TEST instead of NODE_ENV)? Maybe something in your application is deleting the NODE_ENV variable. – Michał Perłakowski Feb 12 '18 at 14:41
i tried this program in VS code and wrote the following in powershell. $env:NODE_ENV="development" ; node www . this seems to work. but it is not working in webstorm – PuskarShestha Feb 12 '18 at 15:08

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 12 '18 at 14:17

0

Use export instead

"start": "export NODE_ENV=production && node ./bin/www"

answered Feb 12 '18 at 14:17

Usman Wali

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What node version do you have ? `$node -v` – Usman Wali Feb 12 '18 at 14:36
8.9.4 . when i checked the process.env in the debugger it does not include the NODE_ENV environment variable. seems like it has not latched to the process object – PuskarShestha Feb 12 '18 at 14:37
i tried this program in VS code and wrote the following in powershell. $env:NODE_ENV="development" ; node www . this seems to work. but it is not working in webstorm – PuskarShestha Feb 12 '18 at 15:09
If you are using webstrom terminal, according to this: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/7707329/set-node-js-environment-variables-in-webstorm its not possible to directly set node_env using command however you can set `environment variable` in node.js `Run/Debug Configuration` http://www.jetbrains.com/help/webstorm/run-debug-configuration-node-js.html#d149998e16 – Usman Wali Feb 13 '18 at 09:00

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 12 '18 at 14:43

0

The following is what works for me, as my goal is trying to keep package dependency to what I really need:

"startwin": "SET NODE_ENV=production& SET SOME_TOKEN=123abc& node ./bin/www",
"start": "NODE_ENV=production SOME_TOKEN=123abc node ./bin/www"

A drawback is each time another environment var is needed, I have 2 places to edit, but that's hardly any effort (at least in my case, yours might be different).

answered Feb 12 '18 at 14:43

Kevin Le - Khnle

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thanks for the reply but i am still getting undefined – PuskarShestha Feb 12 '18 at 14:49
i tried this program in VS code and wrote the following in powershell. $env:NODE_ENV="development" ; node www . this seems to work. but it is not working in webstorm – PuskarShestha Feb 12 '18 at 15:09

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Feb 12 '18 at 19:01

If you have a separate config.js being required, make sure it is first. You may have a race condition.

I ran into something like this yesterday. It may or may not be your issue. When I ran my code, my environment variable was undefined. I moved an entire library into a separate module. I required that module. My problem was that my requires were out of order, so when it asked, it wasn't set yet. I moved my config.js require up above my library package require.

NODE_ENV is showing undefined although i set environment variable

4 Answers4

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