[javascript] process.env.NODE_ENV is undefined

I'm trying to follow a tutorial on NodeJs. I don't think I missed anything but whenever I call the process.env.NODE_ENV the only value I get back is undefined. According to my research the default value should be 'development'. How is this value dynamically set and where is it set initially?

If you faced this probem in React, you need [email protected] and higher. Also for other environment variables than NODE_ENV to work in React, they need to be prefixed with REACT_APP_.

As early as possible in your application, require and configure dotenv.

require('dotenv').config()

For me, the issue was that I was using the pkg library to turn my app into an executable binary. In that case, the accepted solutions didn't work. However, using the following code solved my problem:

const NODE_ENV = (<any>process).pkg ? 'production' : process.env.NODE_ENV;

I found this solution here on GitHub.

You can use the cross-env npm package. It will take care of trimming the environment variable, and will also make sure it works across different platforms.

In the project root, run:

npm install cross-env

Then in your package.json, under scripts, add:

"start": "cross-env NODE_ENV=dev node your-app-name.js"

Then in your terminal, at the project root, start your app by running:

npm start

The environment variable will then be available in your app as process.env.NODE_ENV, so you could do something like:

if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'dev') {
  // Your dev-only logic goes here
}

In UBUNTU use:

$ export NODE_ENV=test

We ran into this problem when working with node on Windows.

Rather than requiring anyone who attempts to run the app to set these variables, we provided a fallback within the application.

var environment = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development';

In a production environment, we would define it per the usual methods (SET/export).

In macOS for those who are using the express version 4.x.x and using the DOTENV plugin, need to use like this:

1. After installing the plugin import like the following in the file where you init the application: require('dotenv').config({path: path.resolve(__dirname+'/.env')});

2. In the root directory create a file '.env' and add the varaiable like:

   NODE_ENV=development or NODE_ENV = development

in package.json we have to config like below (works in Linux and Mac OS)

the important thing is "export NODE_ENV=production" after your build commands below is an example:

  "scripts": {
     "start": "export NODE_ENV=production && npm run build && npm run start-server",
     "dev": "export NODE_ENV=dev && npm run build && npm run start-server",
  } 

• for dev environment, we have to hit "npm run dev" command

• for a production environment, we have to hit "npm run start" command

For people using *nix (Linux, OS X, etc.), there's no reason to do it via a second export command, you can chain it as part of the invoking command:

NODE_ENV=development node server.js

Easier, no? :)

It is due to OS

In your package.json, make sure to have your scripts(Where app.js is your main js file to be executed & NODE_ENV is declared in a .env file).Eg:

"scripts": {
    "start": "node app.js",
    "dev": "nodemon server.js",
    "prod": "NODE_ENV=production & nodemon app.js"
  }

For windows

Also set up your .env file variable having NODE_ENV=development

If your .env file is in a folder for eg.config folder make sure to specify in app.js(your main js file)

const dotenv = require('dotenv'); dotenv.config({ path: './config/config.env' });

tips

in package.json:

"scripts": {
  "start": "set NODE_ENV=dev && node app.js"
 }

in app.js:

console.log(process.env.NODE_ENV) // dev
console.log(process.env.NODE_ENV === 'dev') // false
console.log(process.env.NODE_ENV.length) // 4 (including a space at the end) 

so, this may better:

"start": "set NODE_ENV=dev&& node app.js"

or

console.log(process.env.NODE_ENV.trim() === 'dev') // true

You can also set it by code, for example:

process.env.NODE_ENV = 'test';