Environment variables (or .env files)

Code to Cloud GitHub Actions
#1

I see that Github actions support global environment variables at the job level right now. However, suppose those variables are in a .env file. Would there be some way to dump that into GITHUB_ENV file so that it can be used as an environment variable there?

#2

Assuming your .env file follows the format required by GITHUB_ENV you can just append it all:

steps:
  - name: read environment file
    run: cat .env >>${GITHUB_ENV}

If the .env file uses a different format you’ll have to run it through some kind of converter tool instead of simply copying, e.g. a script that reads the environment file and writes to GITHUB_ENV in the expected format.

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#3

Sorry, I somehow didn’t put the key word here, at the job level I mean. You can’t run anything at that level, right?

#4

You mean before any steps get run? There’s no option for that. Maybe because the .env file wouldn’t be available before checkout anyway?

On the other hand settings in GITHUB_ENV remain for the rest of the job, so the effect is very similar.

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