Setting environment variables allows you to reference sensitive data, like passwords and API keys in an application, without making them publicly visible online or in a public repository.
Example:
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user_name: "my_actual_username" password: "my_actual_password" |
becomes…
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user_name: ENV["USERNAME_VARIABLE"] password: ENV["PASSWORD_VARIABLE"] |
To do this, first check to make sure you are using a bash shell:
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echo $SHELL |
Then edit your “~/.bashrc” file and add:
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export YOUR_USERNAME="yourusername" export YOUR_PASSWORD="yourpassword" |
Save the file and you’re all set. You will have to open a new shell or restart your terminal to continue.