Updating

Update environment variables by merging new values with existing ones. This preserves existing variables while adding or updating specific ones.

Overview

Updating environment variables is ideal for:

Adding new variables without removing existing ones
Updating specific variables while preserving others
Incrementally building environment configuration
Modifying configuration without full replacement

update() merges new variables with existing ones. Existing variables not specified in the update are preserved. This is safer than set_all() which replaces everything.

Update Single Variable

Update a single environment variable:

Python
JavaScript

from hopx_ai import Sandbox

sandbox = Sandbox.create(template="code-interpreter")

# Set initial variables
sandbox.env.set_all({
    "API_KEY": "sk-123",
    "DEBUG": "true"
})

# Update a single variable
sandbox.env.update({"DEBUG": "false"})

# Verify update
env = sandbox.env.get_all()
print(f"API_KEY: {env.get('API_KEY')}")  # Still "sk-123"
print(f"DEBUG: {env.get('DEBUG')}")      # Now "false"

sandbox.kill()

import { Sandbox } from '@hopx-ai/sdk';

const sandbox = await Sandbox.create({ template: 'code-interpreter' });

// Set initial variables
await sandbox.env.setAll({
  API_KEY: 'sk-123',
  DEBUG: 'true'
});

// Update a single variable
await sandbox.env.update({ DEBUG: 'false' });

// Verify update
const env = await sandbox.env.getAll();
console.log(`API_KEY: ${env.API_KEY}`);  // Still "sk-123"
console.log(`DEBUG: ${env.DEBUG}`);      // Now "false"

await sandbox.kill();

Update Multiple Variables

Update multiple variables at once:

Python
JavaScript

from hopx_ai import Sandbox

sandbox = Sandbox.create(template="code-interpreter")

# Set initial configuration
sandbox.env.set_all({
    "API_KEY": "sk-123",
    "DATABASE_URL": "postgres://localhost/db"
})

# Update multiple variables
sandbox.env.update({
    "NODE_ENV": "production",
    "DEBUG": "false",
    "LOG_LEVEL": "info"
})

# Verify all variables
env = sandbox.env.get_all()
print("All environment variables:")
for key in ["API_KEY", "DATABASE_URL", "NODE_ENV", "DEBUG", "LOG_LEVEL"]:
    print(f"  {key}: {env.get(key, 'not set')}")

sandbox.kill()

import { Sandbox } from '@hopx-ai/sdk';

const sandbox = await Sandbox.create({ template: 'code-interpreter' });

// Set initial configuration
await sandbox.env.setAll({
  API_KEY: 'sk-123',
  DATABASE_URL: 'postgres://localhost/db'
});

// Update multiple variables
await sandbox.env.update({
  NODE_ENV: 'production',
  DEBUG: 'false',
  LOG_LEVEL: 'info'
});

// Verify all variables
const env = await sandbox.env.getAll();
console.log('All environment variables:');
for (const key of ['API_KEY', 'DATABASE_URL', 'NODE_ENV', 'DEBUG', 'LOG_LEVEL']) {
  console.log(`  ${key}: ${env[key] || 'not set'}`);
}

await sandbox.kill();

Incremental Configuration

Build environment configuration incrementally:

Python
JavaScript

from hopx_ai import Sandbox

sandbox = Sandbox.create(template="code-interpreter")

# Step 1: Set base configuration
sandbox.env.set_all({
    "NODE_ENV": "production"
})

# Step 2: Add API configuration
sandbox.env.update({
    "API_KEY": "sk-prod-xyz",
    "API_URL": "https://api.example.com"
})

# Step 3: Add database configuration
sandbox.env.update({
    "DATABASE_URL": "postgres://localhost/prod",
    "DB_POOL_SIZE": "10"
})

# Step 4: Add logging configuration
sandbox.env.update({
    "LOG_LEVEL": "info",
    "LOG_FORMAT": "json"
})

# Verify final configuration
env = sandbox.env.get_all()
print(f"Final configuration: {len(env)} variables")
for key in sorted(env.keys()):
    if key not in ['PATH', 'HOME', 'USER', 'SHELL']:  # Skip system vars
        print(f"  {key}: {env[key]}")

sandbox.kill()

import { Sandbox } from '@hopx-ai/sdk';

const sandbox = await Sandbox.create({ template: 'code-interpreter' });

// Step 1: Set base configuration
await sandbox.env.setAll({
  NODE_ENV: 'production'
});

// Step 2: Add API configuration
await sandbox.env.update({
  API_KEY: 'sk-prod-xyz',
  API_URL: 'https://api.example.com'
});

// Step 3: Add database configuration
await sandbox.env.update({
  DATABASE_URL: 'postgres://localhost/prod',
  DB_POOL_SIZE: '10'
});

// Step 4: Add logging configuration
await sandbox.env.update({
  LOG_LEVEL: 'info',
  LOG_FORMAT: 'json'
});

// Verify final configuration
const env = await sandbox.env.getAll();
console.log(`Final configuration: ${Object.keys(env).length} variables`);
for (const key of Object.keys(env).sort()) {
  if (!['PATH', 'HOME', 'USER', 'SHELL'].includes(key)) {  // Skip system vars
    console.log(`  ${key}: ${env[key]}`);
  }
}

await sandbox.kill();

Override Existing Variables

Update existing variables with new values:

Python
JavaScript

from hopx_ai import Sandbox

sandbox = Sandbox.create(template="code-interpreter")

# Set initial values
sandbox.env.set_all({
    "API_KEY": "sk-dev-123",
    "DEBUG": "true",
    "LOG_LEVEL": "debug"
})

# Override with production values
sandbox.env.update({
    "API_KEY": "sk-prod-xyz",
    "DEBUG": "false",
    "LOG_LEVEL": "info"
})

# Verify overrides
env = sandbox.env.get_all()
print(f"API_KEY: {env.get('API_KEY')}")      # "sk-prod-xyz"
print(f"DEBUG: {env.get('DEBUG')}")            # "false"
print(f"LOG_LEVEL: {env.get('LOG_LEVEL')}")   # "info"

sandbox.kill()

import { Sandbox } from '@hopx-ai/sdk';

const sandbox = await Sandbox.create({ template: 'code-interpreter' });

// Set initial values
await sandbox.env.setAll({
  API_KEY: 'sk-dev-123',
  DEBUG: 'true',
  LOG_LEVEL: 'debug'
});

// Override with production values
await sandbox.env.update({
  API_KEY: 'sk-prod-xyz',
  DEBUG: 'false',
  LOG_LEVEL: 'info'
});

// Verify overrides
const env = await sandbox.env.getAll();
console.log(`API_KEY: ${env.API_KEY}`);      // "sk-prod-xyz"
console.log(`DEBUG: ${env.DEBUG}`);          // "false"
console.log(`LOG_LEVEL: ${env.LOG_LEVEL}`); // "info"

await sandbox.kill();

Complete Example

Here’s a complete example showing incremental environment setup:

Python
JavaScript

from hopx_ai import Sandbox

sandbox = Sandbox.create(template="code-interpreter")

# Start with base configuration
print("🔧 Setting up environment incrementally...\n")

# Step 1: Base environment
sandbox.env.set_all({"NODE_ENV": "production"})
print("✅ Step 1: Base environment set")

# Step 2: API configuration
sandbox.env.update({
    "API_KEY": "sk-prod-xyz",
    "API_URL": "https://api.example.com",
    "API_TIMEOUT": "30"
})
print("✅ Step 2: API configuration added")

# Step 3: Database configuration
sandbox.env.update({
    "DATABASE_URL": "postgres://localhost/prod",
    "DB_POOL_SIZE": "10",
    "DB_TIMEOUT": "5"
})
print("✅ Step 3: Database configuration added")

# Step 4: Feature flags
sandbox.env.update({
    "FEATURE_NEW_UI": "true",
    "FEATURE_ANALYTICS": "true",
    "FEATURE_BETA": "false"
})
print("✅ Step 4: Feature flags added")

# Step 5: Update existing variable
sandbox.env.update({"NODE_ENV": "staging"})
print("✅ Step 5: NODE_ENV updated to staging")

# Final verification
env = sandbox.env.get_all()
custom_vars = {k: v for k, v in env.items() 
               if k not in ['PATH', 'HOME', 'USER', 'SHELL', 'PWD']}

print(f"\n📋 Final environment ({len(custom_vars)} custom variables):")
for key, value in sorted(custom_vars.items()):
    if any(sensitive in key.upper() for sensitive in ['KEY', 'SECRET', 'PASSWORD']):
        print(f"  {key}=***MASKED***")
    else:
        print(f"  {key}={value}")

sandbox.kill()

import { Sandbox } from '@hopx-ai/sdk';

const sandbox = await Sandbox.create({ template: 'code-interpreter' });

// Start with base configuration
console.log('🔧 Setting up environment incrementally...\n');

// Step 1: Base environment
await sandbox.env.setAll({ NODE_ENV: 'production' });
console.log('✅ Step 1: Base environment set');

// Step 2: API configuration
await sandbox.env.update({
  API_KEY: 'sk-prod-xyz',
  API_URL: 'https://api.example.com',
  API_TIMEOUT: '30'
});
console.log('✅ Step 2: API configuration added');

// Step 3: Database configuration
await sandbox.env.update({
  DATABASE_URL: 'postgres://localhost/prod',
  DB_POOL_SIZE: '10',
  DB_TIMEOUT: '5'
});
console.log('✅ Step 3: Database configuration added');

// Step 4: Feature flags
await sandbox.env.update({
  FEATURE_NEW_UI: 'true',
  FEATURE_ANALYTICS: 'true',
  FEATURE_BETA: 'false'
});
console.log('✅ Step 4: Feature flags added');

// Step 5: Update existing variable
await sandbox.env.update({ NODE_ENV: 'staging' });
console.log('✅ Step 5: NODE_ENV updated to staging');

// Final verification
const env = await sandbox.env.getAll();
const systemVars = new Set(['PATH', 'HOME', 'USER', 'SHELL', 'PWD']);
const customVars = Object.fromEntries(
  Object.entries(env).filter(([k]) => !systemVars.has(k))
);

console.log(`\n📋 Final environment (${Object.keys(customVars).length} custom variables):`);
for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(customVars).sort()) {
  const isSensitive = ['KEY', 'SECRET', 'PASSWORD'].some(
    s => key.toUpperCase().includes(s)
  );
  if (isSensitive) {
    console.log(`  ${key}=***MASKED***`);
  } else {
    console.log(`  ${key}=${value}`);
  }
}

await sandbox.kill();

Best Practices

1. Use update() Instead of set_all()

Prefer update() over set_all() to preserve existing variables unless you want to replace everything.

2. Build Incrementally

Build environment configuration incrementally by updating variables in logical groups.

3. Override When Needed

Use update() to override existing variables with new values without affecting others.

4. Group Related Variables

Update related variables together (e.g., all API config, all database config) for better organization.

5. Verify After Updates

Always verify variables are updated correctly using get_all() after updates.

Getting Environment Variables - Retrieve environment variables
Setting Environment Variables - Set or replace variables
SDK: sandbox.env.update() - Python SDK method
API: PATCH /env - VM Agent API endpoint
CLI Environment Variables - Environment variables from CLI

Next Steps

Learn about Getting Environment Variables to retrieve variables
Explore Setting Environment Variables to replace all variables
Review Clearing Environment Variables to remove variables

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Overview

Update Single Variable

Update Multiple Variables

Incremental Configuration

Override Existing Variables

Complete Example

Best Practices

Next Steps

​Overview

​Update Single Variable

​Update Multiple Variables

​Incremental Configuration

​Override Existing Variables

​Complete Example

​Best Practices

​Related

​Next Steps

Overview

Update Single Variable

Update Multiple Variables

Incremental Configuration

Override Existing Variables

Complete Example

Best Practices

Related

Next Steps