Using Environment Variables in Java Spring Boot

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Summary: Learn how to effectively utilize environment variables in your Java Spring Boot applications for enhanced configurability and security. Discover best practices and techniques to manage and access environment variables within your Spring Boot projects.
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In Java Spring Boot applications, managing configuration settings securely and flexibly is crucial. Environment variables offer a robust solution for storing sensitive information and adjusting application behavior across different environments. Here's a guide on how to effectively utilize environment variables in your Spring Boot projects:

Dependency Setup

Configuration File

Accessing Environment Variables
In Spring Boot, you can access environment variables using the Environment object provided by the Spring framework. You can inject this object into your classes using @Autowired or retrieve it from the application context.

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Setting Environment Variables
Environment variables can be set in various ways, depending on your deployment environment. For example:

Local Development: Set environment variables in your IDE or terminal session.

Containerized Deployment: Pass environment variables in your Dockerfile or Kubernetes configuration files.

Cloud Services: Many cloud providers offer interfaces for setting environment variables in their respective platforms.

Property Overrides
Spring Boot allows you to override properties defined in your configuration files with environment variables. Simply prefix the property key with SPRING_APPLICATION_JSON_ and provide a JSON representation of the property value.

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Security Considerations
When using environment variables to store sensitive information such as database credentials or API keys, ensure proper security measures are in place:

Avoid hardcoding sensitive information in source code.

Encrypt sensitive values before storing them in environment variables.

Limit access to environment variables to authorized personnel only.

By following these best practices, you can effectively harness the power of environment variables in your Java Spring Boot applications, enabling greater configurability, flexibility, and security.