How do I use envFile in launch.json for nodejs in VSCode- debugger ?

In developing Node.js applications with VS Code, it is common to set environment variables. These variables may include sensitive information such as database connection details and external API keys, which are typically not hard-coded directly in the source code. The launch.json configuration file of VS Code provides a convenient way to manage these environment variables by using the envFile attribute.

Steps

1. Create an Environment Variables File: First, create a file to store environment variables, such as .env. This file can contain the following content:

shell
DB_HOST=localhost
DB_USER=root
DB_PASS=s1mpl3

1. Configure launch.json: Locate or create a launch.json file in the .vscode directory of VS Code, and add the envFile attribute to the relevant configuration. For example:

json
{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "type": "node",
      "request": "launch",
      "name": "Launch Program",
      "program": "${workspaceFolder}/app.js",
      "envFile": "${workspaceFolder}/.env"
    }
  ]
}

In this configuration, the envFile attribute points to the file where environment variables are stored. When the Node.js application starts, the VS Code debugger automatically loads these environment variables.

Use Case Example

Suppose you are developing a Node.js application that needs to connect to a database. To avoid exposing the database username and password directly in the code, you can utilize this approach to store these sensitive details in the .env file. This way, regardless of whether you are in development or production environments, you can easily switch database connections by changing the environment variables without modifying the code. This significantly enhances the security and maintainability of the project.

Important Notes

• Ensure that the .env file is not included in the version control system, for example, by adding .env to the .gitignore file.
• Verify that the environment variable names are consistent between the .env file and the application code.
• Confirm that VS Code correctly identifies the paths in launch.json, especially when migrating projects across different operating systems.

By using this approach, you can effectively manage and utilize environment variables while ensuring the flexibility and security of your project.