How do I configure environment variables in Python and JavaScript?

How do I configure environment variables in Python and JavaScript?

In Python, you can use the os module to access environment variables. For example:

import os

# Get an environment variable
my_var = os.getenv('MY_VARIABLE')

# Set an environment variable
os.environ['MY_VARIABLE'] = 'value'

In JavaScript, you can access environment variables using process.env in Node.js:

// Get an environment variable
const myVar = process.env.MY_VARIABLE;

// Set an environment variable (only for the current process)
process.env.MY_VARIABLE = 'value';

Are there any best practices for managing these variables?

Yes, it's best to keep sensitive information like API keys in environment variables rather than hardcoding them. Use a .env file with a library like python-dotenv for Python or dotenv for Node.js to manage them easily.

What about in other languages like Ruby or Go?

In Ruby, you can use the ENV hash:

# Get an environment variable
my_var = ENV['MY_VARIABLE']

# Set an environment variable
ENV['MY_VARIABLE'] = 'value'

In Go, you can use the os package:

import "os"

// Get an environment variable
myVar := os.Getenv("MY_VARIABLE")

// Set an environment variable (only for the current process)
os.Setenv("MY_VARIABLE", "value")