.NET Guidebook

Web Development

.NET Environment Variables

Using Environment Variables

.NET environment variables use Configuration for settings.

Introduction to .NET Environment Variables

.NET environment variables are a key part of application configuration, allowing developers to manage application settings across different environments (development, staging, production) without changing code. This flexibility is crucial for maintaining consistent configurations and minimizing errors.

Why Use Environment Variables?

Environment variables allow you to separate configuration from code, which is a fundamental principle of the 12-Factor App methodology. This separation enables easier management of different settings for different environments, such as database connection strings, API keys, and feature flags.

.NET Configuration and Environment Variables

In .NET, the Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration library is used to access environment variables. It allows developers to integrate configuration from environment variables easily into their applications.

Setting Environment Variables

Environment variables can be set on different operating systems. Here is how you can set them on Windows and Linux/macOS:

Windows

Linux/macOS

Accessing Environment Variables in .NET

After setting environment variables, they can be accessed in .NET applications using the Configuration object as shown in the previous example. Additionally, you can access them directly using Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable method:

Best Practices for Using Environment Variables

  • Do not hardcode sensitive information in your source code. Use environment variables for sensitive data like API keys and connection strings.
  • Use a consistent naming convention for environment variables to avoid confusion.
  • Document the environment variables your application uses, including their purpose and expected values.
  • Consider using a tool like dotenv for local development to manage environment variables easily.

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