I am using nest.js and I want to import object defined in auth.parameters.ts file. File is defined as below. It appears environmental variable is not visible unless below variable is declared in class.

export const obj = {
    somevar : process.env.CUSTOM_VAR,

}; 

In my other classes I would like to import the file with import {SecurityParameters } from '../auth/auth.parameters'

and access the variable with console.log(SecurityParameters.somevar).

I can access the variable directly using process.env.CUSTOM_VAR or

I get undefined if I use somevar : process.env.CUSTOM_VAR in other file.

I am using nest.js and I want to import object defined in auth.parameters.ts file. File is defined as below. It appears environmental variable is not visible unless below variable is declared in class.

export const obj = {
    somevar : process.env.CUSTOM_VAR,

}; 

In my other classes I would like to import the file with import {SecurityParameters } from '../auth/auth.parameters'

and access the variable with console.log(SecurityParameters.somevar).

I can access the variable directly using process.env.CUSTOM_VAR or

I get undefined if I use somevar : process.env.CUSTOM_VAR in other file.

• javascript
• node.js
• nestjs

• Do you use a .env file, dotenv, @nestjs/config? We need more info here. – Jay McDoniel Commented Apr 15, 2021 at 22:34
• Yes, I use .env file. I think process.env variable works only in class. It’s not visible if object is not declared in a class. – user11380842 Commented Apr 16, 2021 at 0:36
• 1 How do you populate process.env from the .env file? dotenv or @nestjs/config or something else entirely? – Jay McDoniel Commented Apr 16, 2021 at 0:57
• I populate using .env and I have @nestjs/config in app.module.ts with isGobal setting to true. My environment variable is visible in all files except the file where const obj is defined – user11380842 Commented Apr 16, 2021 at 1:11
• That means some module loads/imports '../auth/auth.parameters' before @nestjs/config is loaded, but it was loaded by the time that your class is instantiated. – Bergi Commented Apr 16, 2021 at 1:17

2 Answers 2

As you're using Nest's ConfigModule, then unless you're creating a custom config file you shouldn't be doing anything with process.env. Instead, you should be injecting Nest's ConfigService where you need the environment variables and using this.configService.get('CUSTOM_VARIABLE') (or whatever value you need). To get started with this, you need to import the config module

import { Module } from '@nestjs/mon';
import { ConfigModule } from '@nestjs/config';

@Module({
  imports: [ConfigModule.forRoot()],
})
export class AppModule {}

You can pass { isGlobal: true } to the forRoot() call to make the ConfigService injectable anywhere in your application.

If you want a different approach where you can use the process.env object instead, you can add this as the first two lines of your main.ts

import { config } from 'dotenv';
config();

Nest calls this (or something similar) under the hood in the ConfigService, but that doesn't make it immediately available.

you can call process.evt.xxxx in function, if call other >> undefined