appengine and OS environment variables

[Fabio Caritas Barrionuevo da Luz]

Hello, i would like to deploy an application based on https://github.com/pydanny/cookiecutter-django project template. 

cookiecutter-django based project use environment variables to define various configurations, following the pattern based on https://12factor.net/config 

http://cookiecutter-django.readthedocs.io/en/latest/settings.html 

I would like to versioning app.yaml file in a public git repository, however, there is some information that I can not let public.

Is there any way to set environment variables for an app engine application without explicitly setting the values of those variables in app.yaml?

Heroku-cli gives me a simple way (see below) for defining environment variables. Does Google App Engine have any similar functionality?

# display the config vars for an app

heroku config --app myapp

# display a config value for an app

heroku config:get KEY --app myapp

# set one or more config vars

heroku config:set --app myapp

# unset one or more config vars

heroku config:unset --app myapp

with https://github.com/xavdid/heroku-config plugin

# Writes the contents of heroku config into a local file

heroku config:pull --app myapp

# Writes the contents of a local file into heroku config

heroku config:push --app myapp

[George (Cloud Platform Support)]

Hello Fabio, 

Best way to do it with Python, as recommended by a Google App Engine Python developer in his reply to "Securely storing environment variables in GAE with app.yaml" question on stackoverflow, were by storing the keys in a client_secrets.json file, and excluding that file from being uploaded to git by listing it in your .gitignore file. 

It may be worthwhile mentioning here that Cookiecutter Django does not offer App Engine support. 

[Vitaly Bogomolov]

Hi, All.

In my opinion, the best solution would be allow "env_variables" into "includes" files. Now only builtins, includes, handlers and skip_files may be in "includes", according this:

https://cloud.google.com/appengine/docs/standard/python/config/appref

WBR, Vitaly

[George (Cloud Platform Support)]

Your proposal for env_variables in includes files is quite interesting. Still, it needs a good use case to support it, were it to become a feature request. Why do you think this is better than the one mentioned in the previous reply? What is the essential advantage your solution would offer? A good use case is needed to give the feature request a chance of being implemented. 

[Vitaly Bogomolov]

Hi, George.

if this proposal wil be implemented, the answer for topic starter may be somthing like this:

1. create secret.yaml with content:

env_variables:

  CLIENT_SECRET: you_secret_key

2. add 'secret.yaml' line to you .gitignore file

3. add to you app.yaml:

includes:

- secret.yaml

it's simple and don't need any additional code in gae project

WBR, Vitaly

[George (Cloud Platform Support)]

Hi Vitaly, 

You are encouraged to open a corresponding issue on issuetracker, so all developments and eventual solution may be easily followed. 

[Vitaly Bogomolov]

Hi, George.

done:
https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/62172664

You are encouraged to open a corresponding issue on issuetracker, so all developments and eventual solution may be easily followed.

WBR, Vitaly.

 

[George (Cloud Platform Support)]

Hi Vitaly, 

As stated in the issue thread itself, you can follow all progress there.