Export array of JSON objects as environment variable

Question

How can I export an environment variable like this?

USERS=[{name:a,surname:b,age:c},{name:d,surname:e,age:f}]

What I've tried so far unsuccessfully

[{"name":"a","surname":"b","age":"c"},{"name":"d","surname":"e","age":"f"}]
[{'name':'a','surname':'b','age':'c'},{'name':'d','surname':'e','age':'f'}]
[{\'name\':\'a\',\'surname\':\'b\',\'age\':\'c\'},{\'name\':\'d\',\'surname\':\'e\',\'age\':\'f\'}]
[{\"name\":\"a\",\"surname\":\"b\",\"age\":\"c\"},{\"name\":\"d\",\"surname\":\"e\",\"age\":\"f\"}]
"[{"name":"a","surname":"b","age":"c"},{"name":"d","surname":"e","age":"f"}]"
'[{"name":"a","surname":"b","age":"c"},{"name":"d","surname":"e","age":"f"}]'
'[{'name':'a','surname':'b','age':'c'},{'name':'d','surname':'e','age':'f'}]'

I know that with docker-compose and terraform this can easily be done but I have to define a single env var here

Something very important that I forgot to mentioned: I want this variable to be read as a LIST since it's part of a configuration file. Not as a string. Since I want to map it to a User object.

User {
   name,
   surname,
   age
}

Aside: Don't use all-caps names for user-defined variables; that's the namespace used for variables that either are used for the shell to inform applications about its environment, or for applications to modify shell (and other POSIX-specified tools') behavior. See pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/basedefs/…, keeping in mind that modifying a shell variable with the same name as a preexisting environment variable automatically updates the environment variable as well. — Charles Duffy
– Charles Duffy, Commented Sep 7, 2021 at 20:20
BTW -- you say you tried '[{"name":"a","surname":"b","age":"c"},{"name":"d","surname":"e","age":"f"}]', but you don't say how it failed, or otherwise provide the details of what this attempt looked like with enough specifics for anyone else to reproduce the failure. — Charles Duffy
– Charles Duffy, Commented Sep 7, 2021 at 20:21
All environment variables are strings -- every single one of them. You cannot have an environment variable that is not a string. You can make the code that receives or reads it interpret it as something else, but that's something the code that reads the variable has to do; the variable is always a string. Saying you want an environment variable but it can't be a string is self-contradictory. — Charles Duffy
– Charles Duffy, Commented Sep 7, 2021 at 20:30

Barmar · Accepted Answer · 2021-09-07 20:17:55Z

4

Put it in quotes and use the export command to put it in the environment. Also, make it valid JSON by quoting all the strings

export USERS='[{"name":"a","surname":"b","age":10},{"name":"d","surname":"e","age":35}]'

answered Sep 7, 2021 at 20:17

Barmar

789k57 gold badges554 silver badges669 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

3 Comments

Niko Over a year ago

I want this variable to be read as a LIST since it's part of a configuration file. Not as a string. Since I want to map it to a User object.

Barmar Over a year ago

Environment variables can only be strings.

Barmar Over a year ago

you can use jq to parse it in the code that uses the environment variable.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Export array of JSON objects as environment variable

1 Answer 1

3 Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

3 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related