now-env

now-env

Module to load environment variables defined in a now.json file or the now key in the package.json and set them in process.env.

Usage

Download it from npm.

yarn add now-env
# or npm i now-env

Then require it.

require('now-env').config()

That's all, you can now check in process.env for you environment variables!

If your application is running inside ▲ZEIT Now cloud then this module is not going to do anything and let ▲ZEIT Now set your environment variables.

Using secrets

Most probably you will want to use secret keys in your now.json file. This module allow you to use them too without worries in development.

Create a now.json with some secret defined as @secret-name, similar to:

{
  "env": {
    "SECRET": "@my-secret-key",
    "ANOTHER_SECRET": "@my-other-secret-key",
    "SECRET_FAIL": "@this-is-not-defined"
  }
}

Then create a now-secrets.json with the secrets names and values.

{
  "@my-secret-key": "keep-it-secret",
  "my-other-secret-key": "keep-it-secret-too"
}

This file must be ignored to actually keep them secret.

Then when starting your application now-env will read the now.json and get the values from now-secrets.json. If a environment key can't be found in now-secrets.json (or the file doesn't exists) then is going to use the secret name as value, that means if DB_PASS is @db_pass and you don't define it inside now-secrets.json then the value will be @db_pass.

Using required files

▲ZEIT Now supports using the env key as an array of required values you'll need to provide when deploying. This module also allow you to use them in development.

Create a now.json with the array, similar to:

{
  "env": [
    "REQUIRED_KEY",
    "REQUIRED_SECRET"
  ]
}

Then create a now-required.json with the environment keys and values.

{
  "REQUIRED_KEY": "required-value",
  "REQUIRED_SECRET": "@required-secret"
}

You can also use secrets, for that you will need to create a now-secrets.json too.

Then when starting your application now-env will read the now.json and get the values from now-required.json (and now-secrets.json). If a environment key can't be found in now-required.json then is going to throw a reference error.

Migrate from dotenv

If you're already using the dotenv module you can switch to now-env easily.

1. Create a now.json file with the env key with every environment variable.
2. Install now-env
3. Change require('dotenv').config() with require('now-env').config().
4. That's all!