10 Golang Environment Variables Best Practices
Environment variables are a great way to configure your applications, but there are some best practices to follow to make sure you're doing it correctly.
Golang is a popular programming language that is used for developing applications. It is a statically typed language that is easy to learn and use. One of the most important aspects of Golang is its environment variables. Environment variables are used to store information about the environment in which the application is running. They are also used to configure the application and provide it with the necessary information.
In this article, we will discuss 10 best practices for using environment variables in Golang. We will look at how to set up environment variables, how to use them in your code, and how to ensure that they are secure. By following these best practices, you can ensure that your Golang applications are running in a secure and efficient manner.
1. Use environment variables for configuration
Environment variables are a great way to store configuration information that can be used by your application. This is especially useful when you need to change the configuration of an application without having to recompile it.
Environment variables also provide a secure way to store sensitive data, such as passwords and API keys. By using environment variables, you can keep this data out of your source code and away from prying eyes.
Finally, environment variables make it easier to deploy applications in different environments. For example, if you have an application running on multiple servers, you can use environment variables to set different configurations for each server. This makes it much easier to manage deployments across multiple environments.
2. Use a .env file to store your environment variables in development
Using a .env file allows you to store all of your environment variables in one place, making it easier to manage and update them. It also helps keep sensitive information out of source control, as the .env file can be excluded from version control systems like Git. Finally, using a .env file makes it easy to switch between different environments (e.g. development, staging, production) without having to manually change each variable.
3. Don’t commit your .env file to source control
Your .env file contains sensitive information such as API keys, passwords, and other secrets. If you commit this file to source control, anyone with access to the repository can view these secrets. This could lead to a security breach or data loss.
To avoid this, make sure your .env file is added to your .gitignore file so it won’t be committed to source control. You should also use environment variables instead of hard-coding values in your code whenever possible. This will help keep your application secure and ensure that any changes made to the environment variables are reflected in your application.
4. Set up your CI/CD pipeline to inject the correct environment variables
When you deploy your application, it’s important to make sure that the environment variables are set correctly. This is especially true if you’re using a cloud provider like AWS or GCP. If the environment variables aren’t set correctly, then your application won’t be able to access the resources it needs and could cause unexpected errors.
By setting up your CI/CD pipeline to inject the correct environment variables, you can ensure that your application will always have the right configuration when it’s deployed. This will save you time and effort in debugging any issues related to incorrect environment variables.
5. Use an env package to load and parse your environment variables
Using an env package allows you to easily access and parse environment variables in a consistent way. This makes it easier for developers to understand how the code works, as well as making it more secure since all of the environment variables are stored in one place. Additionally, using an env package can help reduce errors by ensuring that all of the environment variables are properly formatted before they are used.
6. Use a config package to manage your configuration values
Using a config package allows you to easily access and modify your environment variables without having to manually set them each time. It also makes it easier to keep track of which values are being used in different parts of the codebase, as well as making sure that all necessary values are present. Additionally, using a config package can help ensure that any changes made to the configuration values are reflected across the entire application.
7. Avoid using global variables
Global variables are accessible from anywhere in the code, which can lead to unexpected behavior and bugs.
Additionally, global variables make it difficult to test your code because you have to keep track of all the different values that could be set for a given variable. This makes debugging more complicated and time-consuming.
Finally, global variables can cause conflicts between different parts of your code if they share the same name. To avoid these issues, use local variables whenever possible and only use global variables when absolutely necessary.
8. Keep your code DRY by creating reusable functions
Reusable functions help you avoid repeating code, which can lead to errors and inconsistencies. It also makes your code easier to read and maintain.
When creating reusable functions, make sure they are well-documented so that other developers can understand what the function does and how it works. Additionally, use descriptive names for variables and parameters to make them more readable. Finally, test your functions thoroughly before using them in production. Doing this will ensure that your code is reliable and bug-free.
9. Use environment variables to configure external packages
Environment variables are a great way to store configuration information that can be used by multiple applications. This makes it easy to change the settings of an application without having to modify its code.
For example, if you’re using an external package for logging, you could use environment variables to configure the log level and other parameters. This would allow you to easily adjust the logging behavior without needing to make any changes to the source code.
Using environment variables also helps keep your codebase clean and organized. By storing all of your configuration information in one place, you can avoid cluttering up your code with unnecessary details.
10. Use environment variables to set logging levels
Logging is an essential part of any application, and it’s important to be able to control the level of detail that gets logged. By using environment variables, you can easily set different logging levels for different environments (e.g., development vs production). This allows you to have more detailed logs in development, while keeping your production logs concise and focused on only the most important information. Additionally, this makes it easier to troubleshoot issues since you can quickly switch between different logging levels without having to modify code or redeploy applications.