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Using envvault with Node.js/Express.js

Note: Please ensure that you have completed the previous steps

Prerequisites

  • Node.js installed on your system
  • envvault CLI tool installed
  • An existing Node.js/Express.js project

Usage

Running Your Application

To run your Node.js application with environment variables from envvault:

$ envvault run --env=dev <your-command-to-run-your-project>

This command will:

  • Load environment variables from the dev environment
  • Execute your command to run the project like npm run dev with these variables

Caching Environment Variables

For better performance, you can cache your environment variables:

$ envvault run --env=dev -c -- npm run dev

The -c flag creates a local cache of your environment variables, improving startup time for subsequent runs.

Example Implementation

Here is how to set up a basic Express.js application with envvault:

// app.js
const express = require('express');
const app = express();

// Your environment variables are automatically loaded
const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;
const DB_URL = process.env.DB_URL;

app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.send('Hello from envvault!');
});

app.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(`Server running on port ${PORT}`);
});

Best Practices

  • Always use the cached mode (-c) in development for better performance
  • Keep your access token secure and never commit it to version control
  • Use different environments (dev, staging, prod) for different stages of development
  • Regularly update your cached environment variables to ensure you have the latest values

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  • Authentication Failed:Ensure your access token is valid and correctly entered
  • Environment Not Found:Verify that the environment name is correct (e.g., dev, staging, prod)
  • Cache Issues:Try clearing the cache and running without the -c flag