NodeJS - process.env.NODE_ENV condition not working when using package.json scripts

Question

I have 3 different databases set up for testing, development and production.

Now I would like my express app to switch between these databases depending on which script I run.

These are my current scripts:
 "scripts": {
    "start": "NODE_ENV=dev && node index.js",
    "test": "mocha --timeout 10000"
  }

I am assigning the process.env.NODE_ENV value at the top of the test script like this, and the test script runs fine against the correct DB:

process.env.NODE_ENV = 'test';

But when I run npm start, node does not seem to get the value. For instance on this code:

// DB connection

let db;
if (process.env.NODE_ENV == 'test') {
  mongoose.connect(config.DB.test, options);
  db = mongoose.connection;
} else if (process.env.NODE_ENV == 'dev') {
  mongoose.connect(config.DB.dev, options);
  db = mongoose.connection;
  app.use(morgan('combined'));
} else if (process.env.NODE_ENV == 'prod') {
  mongoose.connect(config.DB.prod, options);
  db = mongoose.connection;
  app.use(morgan('combined'));
}

db.on('error', console.error.bind(console, 'connection error:'));

I get the Cannot read property 'on' of undefined error (while running the same code with the test script connects to the correct DB).

What am I doing wrong?

michelem · Accepted Answer · 2016-12-10 10:48:56Z

3

Try to use this instead:

"start": "NODE_ENV=dev node index.js",

Remove the &&

And I'd like to add a way to handle the env not set too:

var env = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'dev'

Then change every refers to process.env.NODE_ENV to env

answered Dec 10, 2016 at 10:48

michelem

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