ReferenceError: NODE_ENV is not defined with Express

Question

This is my index.js file:

var express = require('express');
var app = express();
var compression = require('compression');
var path = require('path');

app.use(compression());
app.set('port', (process.env.PORT || 9000));

app.use(express.static(path.join(__dirname, 'dist')));
app.use('/public', express.static(path.join(__dirname, '/public')));

app.set('views', __dirname + '/');
app.set('view engine', 'ejs');

app.listen(app.get('port'), function() {
    console.log('Node app is running on port', app.get('port'));
});

And these are my NPM scripts for building and starting the server:

"scripts": {
    "start": "NODE_ENV=production node index.js",
    "dev": "NODE_ENV=development webpack-dev-server --progress --bail --open",
    "build": "NODE_ENV=production webpack -p --colors"
},

I don't know how but I still get ReferenceError: NODE_ENV is not defined. Can anyone help?

Where do you use NODE_ENV in your JavaScript code? (The code you've posted doesn't seem to me to be the relevant code.) — Freyja
– Freyja, Commented Mar 15, 2017 at 16:51
I'm using OS X Also whan i'm using webpack server there is no problem with that... I think this is not a problem with code it self. — Lukas
– Lukas, Commented Mar 15, 2017 at 16:55

rsp · Accepted Answer · 2017-03-15 16:56:29Z

4

You need to use:

process.env.NODE_ENV

instead of:

NODE_ENV

When you get the error:

ReferenceError: NODE_ENV is not defined

that means that you were trying to access it like it was a variable in scope and not a property on the process.env object as it is.

answered Mar 15, 2017 at 16:56

rsp

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3 Comments

Lukas Over a year ago

where, how? in the index.js i assume ... I've tried this also but had the same issue :(

rsp Over a year ago

@Lukas I don't know where. Certainly not in the code that you provided because you didn't include anything with NODE_ENV

Lukas Over a year ago

everywhere i have to in webpack config (using it to build app) i'm using process.env.NODE_ENV

Ming C · Accepted Answer · 2017-03-15 17:15:21Z

0

It works on Mac.

What OS you used ? If you are Windows, maybe you need checkout cross-env

Then change your package.json like this:

{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "cross-env NODE_ENV=production webpack --config build/webpack.config.js"
  }
}

answered Mar 15, 2017 at 17:15

Ming C

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