Set environmental variables via npm script and command line

[TossExecutor]

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to follow through this guide: https://glebbahmutov.com/blog/cypress-tips-and-tricks/#pass-the-environment-variables-correctly

So I want to open cypress and also pass env variables for my tests, this should be done by using a script in my package.json.
Unfortunately, it wont work on my operating system: Instead of passing the variable's value, I get "$DB_USERNAME" and "$PASSWORD". I want to use Powershell ISE on my Windows system. I have tried many things, like using %DB_USERNAME%, but it just doesn't work for me...

Here ist my current approach:

my script lines (package.json)

"scripts": {
    "cy:run": "cypress run --env db.user=$DB_USERNAME,db.password=$PASSWORD",
    "cy:open": "cypress open --env db.user=$DB_USERNAME,db.password=$PASSWORD"

my powershell file (start.ps1):

npm run
$DB_USERNAME="testUser" 
$PASSWORD="123"
$DB_USERNAME, $PASSWORD | npm run cy:open

this my output in cypress browser (configuration tab)

env:
db.user: "$DB_USERNAME"
db.password: "$PASSWORD"

Do you have any suggestions what I am currently doing wrong here? I kinda ran out of ideas :)

[TossExecutor]

Hi, can someone help, please? :)

[tit]

@TossExecutor, try next construction:

$env:db.user = "testUser"; $env:db.password = "123"; cypress run --env db.user=$env:db.user,db.password=$env:db.password

[TossExecutor]

thanks for your reply, that doesn't work, unfortunately.

I'm assuming you meant this in my case:

package.json

"scripts": {
    "cy:open": "cypress open --env db.user=$env:db.user,db.password=$env:db.password

powershell file (.ps1)

$env:db.user = "testUser"; $env:db.password = "123" | npm run cy:open

If I run this my Console says the following for the passing values

The "user" property was not found for this object. Make sure that the property exists and can be set.
In line:1 Character:1
+ $env:db.user = "testUser"
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [], RuntimeException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : PropertyNotFound

[BudaPavel]

Setting --env seems not to be possible for nested keys in cypress in accordance to documentation.

You can try to use next construction. It's single line, but I think you would be able to handle how it works.

export DB_CONFIG='{"database":"database_name"}' && cypress open --env db=${DB_CONFIG}

1. We export into DB_CONFIG variable json object
2. We pass this object into cypress open

[BudaPavel]

So normaly in you package.json you need to add:

"cy:open": "cypress open --env db=${DB_CONFIG}"

And in you power shell script you run it as:

export DB_CONFIG='{"database": "database_name", "user": "user", "password": "password"}' && npm run cy:open

Not tested on powershell, but works in (wsl)bash :)

[TossExecutor]

Thank you very much for your answer! Unfortunately, it's still not working for me.
I can't use export, neither nor && in Powershell.

I tried to work around it ended up with the following:

For package.json I have the same code as you have.

For Powershell this:

$credential = $host.ui.PromptForCredential("Need credentials", "Please enter your user name and password.", "", "")
$PASSWORD = $credential.GetNetworkCredential().password
$USERNAME = $credential.GetNetworkCredential().username
Set-Variable -Name "$DB_CONFIG" -Value '{"database": "database_name", "user":"',$USERNAME,', "password": ',$PASSWORD,'}'
npm run cy:open

It does not throw any errors, but I still have db: "${DB_CONFIG}" this in my cypress configuration :(
I dunno what I do wrong here and I dunno for what I can search for addressing this problem.

[BudaPavel]

Hmm from first attempt this construction seems to work, but sets value as string and not object. But maybe would be some food to play with :)

$env:DB_CONFIG='{"database": "database_name", "user": "user", "password": "password"}' ; cypress open --env db=$env:DB_CONFIG

[TossExecutor]

Unfortunately, those things won't work on a windows pc and Powershell. Could it be that Powershell is not supported in a way for cypress?

[bahmutov]

It seems to me the problem is in setting the environment variables before running Cypress. Cypress just reads the variables, it has no control over setting them.

…

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On Jan 20, 2021, at 11:24, TossExecutor ***@***.***> wrote:  Unfortunately, those things won't work on a windows pc and Powershell. Could it be that Powershell is not supported in a way for cypress? — You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe.

[TossExecutor]

Thank you very much for replying. To make it a bit more clear I have made a picture to explain my issue:

I would like to have the first attempt working. As you can see setting the variables has worked, so I am not sure what the problem is. Do you have an idea?

[BudaPavel]

Not sure, but have you tried in cypress.json setting script as?

"cy:open": "cypress open --env user=$env:$DB_USERNAME,password=$env:$DB_PASSWORD"

[TossExecutor]

Thanks for the patience :)
Yes, I tried it, unfortunately, get a similar result here:

[bahmutov]

Seems your shell does not interpolate variables inside npm run scripts. I have no idea what it does or why it does not work as other shells. I have recorded a video showing my experience with passing the environment variables: https://youtu.be/jAiYePsxPl4 At the end I suggest using the plugin file to grab the environment variables and avoid relying on the shell.

[karen-campbell]

Hi @bahmutov I have watched your video and it was very informative however I am still having issues.

This is my cypress.json file and I am looking to set the values inside of db within the command line. They just seem to get set as a string no matter what I try. Do you have any advice?

{
  "baseUrl": "https://localhost:12345/"
  "env": 
  {
    "db":
    {
      "userName": "",
      "password": "",
      "server": "",
      "options":
      {
        "database": ""
      }
    }
  }
}

[bahmutov]

I have opened an issue #15323 about parsing JSON objects in --env CLI option, but for now the workaround: use a separate CYPRESS_ variable instead of --env option. For example

$ CYPRESS_person='{ "name": { "first": "Joe", "last": "Smith" }, "age": 18 }' npx cypress open