Environment

Article
09/07/2022

Synopsis

Manage an environment variable for a machine or process.

Syntax

Environment [String] #ResourceName
{
    Name = [string]
    [DependsOn = [string[]]]
    [Ensure = [string]{ Absent | Present }]
    [Path = [bool]]
    [PsDscRunAsCredential = [PSCredential]]
    [Target = [string[]]{ Machine | Process }]
    [Value = [string]]
}

Description

The Environment resource enables you to create, update, and remove environment variables in the Machine and Process targets. It can manage path-type environment variables, ensuring a specific value is included or removed from the environment variable.

Requirements

None.

Key properties

Name

Specify the name of the environment variable.

Type: System.String

Optional properties

Ensure

Specify whether the environment variable should exist. Specify this property as Absent to remove the environment variable if it exists. Specify this property as Present to create the environment variable if it doesn't exist and enforce the Value property if it's set. The default value is Present.

Type: System.String
Accepted Values:
  - Absent
  - Present
Default Value: Present

Path

Specify whether to treat the environment variable as a path variable. This modifies the Ensure behavior for the environment variable:

When Path is $true, Ensure is Present, and the Value isn't included in the current value of the environment variable, the resource appends the Value to the current value of the environment variable.
When Path is $true, Ensure is Absent, and the Value is included in the current value of the environment variable, the resource removes the Value from the current value of the environment variable.
When Path is $false and Ensure is Present, the resource sets the environment variable to Value.
When Path is $false and Ensure is Absent, the resource removes the environment variable.

The default value is $false.

Type: System.Boolean
Default Value: false

Target

Specify one or more target to configure the environment variable in. Valid values include:

Process
Machine

By default, the environment variable is configured in both the Process and Machine targets.

Type: System.String[]
Accepted Values:
  - Process
  - Machine
Default Value: [Process, Machine]

Value

Specify the environment variable's value as a string. Whether Value is an empty string ('') modifies the Ensure behavior for the environment variable:

When Value is an empty string, Ensure is Present, and the environment variable exists, the resource doesn't update the environment variable.
When Value is an empty string, Ensure is Present, and the environment variable doesn't exist, the resource throws an invalid operation exception.
When Value is an empty string, Ensure is Absent, and the environment variable exists, the resource removes the environment variable.

The default value is an empty string.

Type: System.String
Default Value: ''

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