Environment Variables Overview
Each project can have its own set of environment variables. These are injected into every command and terminal session.
Why Per-Project Variables?
- API Keys — Project-specific credentials
- Database Connections — Dev/staging/prod configs
- Feature Flags — Toggle features per environment
- Paths — Custom tool locations
Configuring Variables
- Right-click a project in the tree
- Select Environment Variables
- Click + to add a variable
- Enter key and value
- Click Save
Variable Injection
Variables are available to:
- All commands in the Commands panel
- All terminal sessions for that project
- Any subprocess spawned from Needlecast
Use Cases
Development vs Production
Set different API_URL for local development vs deployment.
Multiple Accounts
Switch between personal and work credentials per project.
Custom Tools
Point to local installations of tools not in PATH.
Security
Variables are stored in ~/.needlecast/config.json. They are not committed to git.