export

Set an environment variable. The supplied names are marked for automatic export to the environment of subsequently executed commands.

Syntax
      export [-fn] [name[=word]] ...

      export -p

Key
   -f   The names refer to functions.
        otherwise the names refer to shell variables.

 word   The value of the variable is set to word.

   -n   No longer mark each name for export.

   -p   Print a list of all the names exported in this shell.
        This is also the default action if no name is given.

If no names are supplied, or if the '-p' option is given, a list of exported names is displayed.

Viewing environment variables

To view the environment variable called MYVAR run:
echo "$MYVAR"

Alternatively the env command can be used to display, set, or remove environment variables.

The return status is zero unless an invalid option is supplied, one of the names is not a valid shell variable name, or '-f' is supplied with a name that is not a shell function.

To make a change to an environment variable permanent (surviving logoff/reboot) add the export command to your startup profile.zprofile or.bash_profile (depending on the shell) .

This is a BASH shell builtin, to display your local syntax from the bash prompt type: help [e]xport

Examples

Set the shell variable 'MYDEPT' equal to the string 'Sales' :

MYDEPT=Sales
echo $MYDEPT

To make the change permanent, you can export this shell variable as an environment variable:

export $MYDEPT

Add the directory $HOME/bin to the PATH:

export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin

“Power tends to corrupt, absolute power corrupts absolutely” ~ Lord Acton

Related macOS commands

set - Set a shell variable.
unset - Remove variable or function names.