How to set environment variable for node js build job in azure devops pipeline

Question

I am importing some secrets from Azure Key Vault to Variable Group to CI / CD pipeline.

I am able to map the required secrets in VariableGroup from KeyVault using Azure Devops UI.

In my pipeline YAML i am able to read and print those VariableGroup variables which are AzureKeyVault secrets.

    trigger:
      - dev

    # define the VM image 
    pool:
      vmImage: "Ubuntu 16.04"

    # define variables to use during the build
    variables:
    - group: SecretVarGroup # it has keyvault variable 'KV_API_KEY'
    - group: PublicVarGroup # it has a variable 'API_CLIENTID'

    # define the step to export key to env varaiable
    steps:

      - script: echo $MYSECRETAPIKEY
        env:
          MYSECRETAPIKEY: $(KV_API_KEY)

      ## Run the npm build
      - script: |
          npm run build
        displayName: "npm build"

I am able to see value for 'KV_API_KEY' secret printed as *** value in the build output log which i assume its able to consume. I also see value for API_CLIENTID printed in build log as well as node js process.env object.

I was assuming the variable "MYSECRETAPIKEY" will be available in my node js process.env object. But it's not avaialble.

The way i tested it is in my node js project build config i have a print statement which prints process.env object. It printed all the environment variables of pipeline build agent including my PUBLICVARGROUP variable 'API_CLIENTID'. But i don't see my secret variable 'MYSECRETAPIKEY' in the process.env object.

   env:
          MYSECRETAPIKEY: $(KV_API_KEY)

I thought above line would export variable to specific language process environment. But it is not. How can i fix this?

When did you run your app? During pipeline? or you made a package and run it later? — Krzysztof Madej
I didnt even run the app yet. It's just a build piepline. I could verify the logs or process.env object in my npm build task. — Full Stack Brain
Sorry, whats the task you are referring to ? i just added my build task..there are few other tasks like copy, etc.. — Full Stack Brain
I want to know how you exactl vierfied that MYSECRETAPIKEY is not available, so I can reproduce it. — Krzysztof Madej

Full Stack Brain Full Stack Brain · Accepted Answer · 2020-05-25T21:34:28

# define the step to export key to env varaiable
steps:

  ## Run the npm build
  - script: |
      npm run build
    displayName: "npm build"
    env:
      MYSECRETAPIKEY: $(KV_API_KEY)

Looks like secrets are scoped on the agent for individual tasks and scripts to use. The issue was i had env: declaraion in a separate adhoc task.Moving it to the same place of my script declaration in the above code has fixed the issue.

How to set environment variable for node js build job in azure devops pipeline

1 Answers