Is there any way to set environment variables in Visual Studio Code?

Question

Could you please help me, how to setup environment variables in visual studio code?

I used this command in VS terminal(project roort folder) for Node.js app: ```$env:NODE_ENV='development'``` or ```$env:NODE_ENV='test'``` — Muhammad Shahzad, Jan 18 '22 at 08:05
Take a look here https://stackoverflow.com/a/70748562/3223785 . — Eduardo Lucio, Jan 18 '22 at 13:57

score 108 · Answer 1 · edited Sep 12 '20 at 20:44

Assuming you mean for a debugging session(?) then you can include a env property in your launch configuration.

If you open the .vscode/launch.json file in your workspace or select Debug > Open Configurations then you should see a set of launch configurations for debugging your code. You can then add to it an env property with a dictionary of string:string.

Here is an example for an ASP.NET Core app from their standard web template setting the ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT to Development :

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": ".NET Core Launch (web)",
      "type": "coreclr",
      "request": "launch",
      "preLaunchTask": "build",
      // If you have changed target frameworks, make sure to update the program path.
      "program": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/Debug/netcoreapp2.0/vscode-env.dll",
      "args": [],
      "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
      "stopAtEntry": false,
      "internalConsoleOptions": "openOnSessionStart",
      "launchBrowser": {
        "enabled": true,
        "args": "${auto-detect-url}",
        "windows": {
          "command": "cmd.exe",
          "args": "/C start ${auto-detect-url}"
        },
        "osx": {
          "command": "open"
        },
        "linux": {
          "command": "xdg-open"
        }
      },
      "env": {
        "ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT": "Development"
      },
      "sourceFileMap": {
        "/Views": "${workspaceFolder}/Views"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": ".NET Core Attach",
      "type": "coreclr",
      "request": "attach",
      "processId": "${command:pickProcess}"
    }
  ]
}

Thanks for your answer. I'm working on a node application and there using some environment variable like as process.env.VAR_NAME, I want the variables when running the project. Is the configuration env variables will be available in this case? It's not working. — Shakti Kumar Das, Feb 06 '18 at 11:23
the above example sets an env variable when using a debugger from vscode (it works for the node debugger when launched from vscode too). Perhaps you could ask another question with some more details as to what exactly is not working? Are you running from vscode? Perhaps share the launch.json you are using? Does it run but just not have the env variable set or does it not run at all? If you want to tag me in a comment (just use @stewart_r in the comment) I'd be happy to try to help but I'm sure if you give a detailed enough question there will be lots of help available from others too. — Stewart_R, Feb 06 '18 at 12:53
I feel I have answered the question as it was asked. If you are still struggling perhaps ask a new question trying, as far as possible, to follow this guide: https://stackoverflow.com/help/how-to-ask to give the community the best possible chance of being able to help — Stewart_R, Feb 06 '18 at 12:55
Thank you for posting your answer, @Stewart_R. I feel it should be the accepted answer, and feature right at the top. — RAM, Apr 02 '19 at 09:53

score 53 · Answer 2 · edited Oct 28 '20 at 14:13

53

In the VSCode launch.json you can use "env" and configure all your environment variables there:

{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {           
            "env": {
                "NODE_ENV": "development",
                "port":"1337"
            },
            ...
        }
    ]
}

edited Oct 28 '20 at 14:13

Beachhouse

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answered Nov 14 '19 at 23:10

Petro Franko

3,973
1
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16

What if I have two configurations? How do I switch between them? For example, the second one's name is "Launch Program 2". My code just imports an environment variable, but I want it to import different values depending on the current configuration. I mean just for a simple launch, I am NOT in a debugging session. – Sergey Zakharov Nov 19 '19 at 09:48
@SergeyZakharov within the "configurations" you can add a new one (just change the "name") and then select in debug tab which config you would like to use. – Petro Franko Dec 17 '19 at 14:43

score 47 · Answer 3 · edited May 05 '21 at 19:52

You can load an environment file by setting the envFile property like this:

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": "Launch",
      "type": "go",
      "request": "launch", 
      "mode": "debug",
      "remotePath": "",
      "port": 2345,
      "host": "127.0.0.1",
      "program": "${workspaceFolder}",
      "envFile": "${workspaceFolder}/.env",
      "args": [], 
      "showLog": true
    }
  ]
}

Place the .env file in your folder and add vars like this:

KEY1="TEXT_VAL1"
KEY2='{"key1":val1","key2":"val2"}'

Further Reading: Debugging go in vscode with environment variables

score 15 · Answer 4 · answered Feb 25 '20 at 21:18

I run vscode from my command line by navigating to the folder with the code and running

code .

If you do that all your bash/zsh variables are passed into vs code. You can update your .bashrc/.zshrc file or just do

export KEY=value

before opening it.

score 5 · Answer 5 · answered Apr 01 '20 at 16:10

5

Could they make it any harder? Here's what I did: open system properties, click on advanced, add the environment variable, shut down visual studio and start it up again.

answered Apr 01 '20 at 16:10

nmishr

255
3
6

1

I believe the original post request to ask to set environment variables in the IDE is because he did not want to do that in the system. One possible reason could be that he did not have administrator right to change the system's environment variable – Bruce Wills Nov 24 '20 at 14:08
The dialog that you use to set system environment variables also will let you set user environment variables (no elevation needed) that will be available for any new processes in the user's session. It works, but this is not an ideal way to set environment variables for VSCode for more than the debugger/launch.json uses. I prefer the approach recommended by @mvndaai: https://stackoverflow.com/a/60403290/100596 – Alan McBee Aug 20 '21 at 18:13

score 4 · Answer 6 · answered Jun 30 '20 at 13:05

4

My response is fairly late. I faced the same problem. I am on Windows 10. This is what I did:

Open a new Command prompt (CMD.EXE)
Set the environment variables . set myvar1=myvalue1
Launch VS Code from that Command prompt by typing code and then press ENTER
VS code was launched and it inherited all the custom variables that I had set in the parent CMD window

Optionally, you can also use the Control Panel -> System properties window to set the variables on a more permanent basis

Hope this helps.

answered Jun 30 '20 at 13:05

Sau001

1,158
14
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I like your answer. But is it also possible to define environment variables in vscode. I know it is possible to do that for the terminals in the vscode, but I want it to be recognized by any vscode extensions as well. I believe your method did achieve what I want, but wonder if vscode has any setting that can do the same things. – Bruce Wills Oct 09 '20 at 02:05
Close all instances of VS Code when attempting this. A running instance will merely spawn a new window and close the process you spawned. – Brent Nov 04 '20 at 17:29
@Bruce You're right, but I have not found defining those debug configs and environment files easy nor have I even got them to work reliably (nor do I have the time or desire to figure out yet another config format), while this way (and the equivalent in Mac/Linux) just works. – Benjamin R May 06 '21 at 08:24

score 2 · Answer 7 · answered Jun 23 '21 at 14:44

2

For C/C++ debugging this works for me (docs):

// Defined per configuration in launch.json
"environment": [
    {
        "name": "<env_name>",
        "value": "<env_value>"
    }
]

answered Jun 23 '21 at 14:44

Daniel Fischer

61
2

score 0 · Answer 8 · answered Feb 23 '19 at 21:59

If you've already assigned the variables using the npm module dotenv, then they should show up in your global variables. That module is here.

While running the debugger, go to your variables tab (right click to reopen if not visible) and then open "global" and then "process." There should then be an env section...

score 0 · Answer 9 · answered Jan 10 '20 at 10:50

As it does not answer your question but searching vm arguments I stumbled on this page and there seem to be no other. So if you want to pass vm arguments its like so

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "type": "java",
      "name": "ddtBatch",
      "request": "launch",
      "mainClass": "com.something.MyApplication",
      "projectName": "MyProject",
      "args": "Hello",
      "vmArgs": "-Dspring.config.location=./application.properties"
    }
  ]
}

score 0 · Answer 10 · answered Oct 12 '21 at 12:02

0

Since VS Code uses powershell in the terminal. The powershell command is

$env:NAME='VALUE'

To learn more: https://www.tutorialspoint.com/how-to-set-environment-variables-using-powershell

answered Oct 12 '21 at 12:02

slacker247

9
4

1 VS code uses whatever terminal you set it up to use, though powershell is the default (mine is on bash), 2 environment variables created directly in VS code's terminal window may not persist between sessions. – Andrew Mar 17 '22 at 00:36

Is there any way to set environment variables in Visual Studio Code?

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