Environment Variables in GitHub Actions

Introduction

In GitHub Actions, environment variables are used to store data that can be accessed throughout the workflow. They help in managing sensitive data, configuration details, and application settings.

What are Environment Variables?

Environment variables are key-value pairs that can influence the behavior of running processes. In the context of CI/CD, they are vital for:

• Storing secrets such as API keys.
• Configuring various stages of the workflows.
• Passing data between steps within a job.

Setting Environment Variables

You can set environment variables in GitHub Actions at different levels:

1. Workflow Level: Define in the workflow file.
2. Job Level: Define within a job.
3. Step Level: Define within a specific step.

Example: Setting Environment Variables

name: CI

on: [push]

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    env:
      MY_ENV_VAR: 'Hello World'
    steps:
      - name: Checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v2
      
      - name: Print Environment Variable
        run: echo $MY_ENV_VAR

Using Environment Variables

Environment variables can be accessed in your workflow steps using the syntax ${{ secrets.VAR_NAME }} for secrets or $VAR_NAME for regular environment variables.

Example: Accessing Environment Variables

      - name: Use Environment Variable
        run: |
          echo "The value of MY_ENV_VAR is $MY_ENV_VAR"

Best Practices

To ensure security and maintainability, follow these best practices:

• Use secrets for sensitive information.
• Keep environment variable names descriptive.
• Avoid hard-coding sensitive information in your workflow files.
• Limit the scope of environment variables to the necessary job or step.

FAQ