Environment Variables

Environment variables provide a way to separate configuration from your scripts. You can declare these configuration values at the workspace-environment level and then reference the corresponding environment variable keys in your code. Using environment variables instead of hardcoding configuration details that vary across different environments allows for more maintainable and modular code.

ScriptRunner Connect also employs environment variables in its templates to facilitate setup and configuration.

The Basics

Let's define the essentials surrounding environment variables.

Create a New Variable

Click Environment Variables in the Resource Manager, then click + Variable:

Save Your Environment Variables

Once you've added a variable, click Save to ensure you don't lose your work:

Rearrange Environment Variables

Use the drag-and-drop option to change the position of and rearrange environment variables. This feature also lets you move variables into and out of folders.

Reuse Variables Across Multiple Environments

You can assign different values to the same variable across different environments or even use completely different sets of variables with distinct keys.

The following example shows how you can have multiple environments with different values for the same environment variable (using the same key). In the Default environment in the previous image, the variable is set to Hello World; in the Dev environment in the image that follows, it's set to Hello Kitty.

Access Variables in Your Scripts

Once you have your environment variables defined, you can then access them in your scripts from the context object, under environment → vars .

The following example demonstrates how to retrieve the myVariable value in the script and log it out:

js
export default async function(event: any, context: Context): Promise<void> {
	console.log('myVariable', context.environment.vars.myVariable);
}

If we run this script in the Default environment, the value for myVariable is logged Hello World. However, if we run the script in the Dev environment, the value is Hello Kitty.

Supported Value Types

You can choose from multiple value types when creating a new environment variable. These value types are designed to simplify template setup by restricting the kinds of values that can be used. While the Text value type is versatile and works for almost anything, you can also use more specific value types, especially when sharing the workspace with colleagues.

Here is the list of supported value types, including TypeScript types, and how each is exposed at the scripting level:

Leveraging the Password Value Type

The password value type is ideal for storing secret information you need to use in API calls, such as an API key. This type has additional security features, including:

• Masking the input field to hide sensitive information

• Making the value difficult to retrieve once it is entered

For example, if you attempt to log a password value, you will receive a placeholder like ENV_VARIABLE_${ID} instead of the actual value. This ensures that if you inadvertently log a password, it won't reveal the actual information—just a placeholder. The same protection applies to HTTP logs: only placeholders are stored, not actual password values.

The placeholders for the password value type are replaced with the actual values when making the final API call.

Contexts

You can use password value types in the following contexts when making API calls:

• URL
• Headers
• Body, if the content-type header is set to one of the following (otherwise, the value won't get replaced):
  • application/json
  • application/xml
  • text/plain
  • text/css
  • text/csv
  • text/html
  • text/javascript
  • text/xml

Folders

You can use folders to organize your environment variables. At the scripting level, variables within a folder are exposed within an object that matches the folder's name. For example, if you have a folder named myFolder with a variable called myVariable, you can access it as follows:

js
export default async function(event: any, context: Context): Promise<void> {
	console.log('myVariable', context.environment.vars.myFolder.myVariable);
}

Using a Default Value

When creating an environment variable, you can optionally define a default value, which is the same type as the regular value. Default values are used when copying environment variables; the value of a new environment variable will be the default value of the copied variable. This mechanism is designed to enhance the user experience when creating a workspace from a template, but you can also use it when sharing a workspace with colleagues.

Copying occurs in the following situations:

• A new environment is created within the workspace.
• A new workspace is created from a template.
• A workspace is duplicated.

Using a Required Value

Similar to default values, the ability to mark a variable as required is primarily intended for templates, but it can be useful for other purposes as well. Making an environment variable required prevents all environment variables from being saved until all required variables are satisfied. If a variable is unsatisfactory, a few visual indicators will appear to highlight the issue.