env

The tracking issue for this feature is: #118372.

This option flag allows to specify environment variables value at compile time to be used by env! and option_env! macros. It also impacts tracked_env::var function from the proc_macro crate.

This information will be stored in the dep-info files. For more information about dep-info files, take a look here.

When retrieving an environment variable value, the one specified by --env will take precedence. For example, if you want have PATH=a in your environment and pass:

rustc --env PATH=env

Then you will have:

#![allow(unused)]
fn main() {
assert_eq!(env!("PATH"), "env");
}

It will trigger a new compilation if any of the --env argument value is different. So if you first passed:

--env A=B --env X=12

and then on next compilation:

--env A=B

X value is different (not set) so the code will be re-compiled.

Please note that on Windows, environment variables are case insensitive but case preserving whereas rustc's environment variables are case sensitive. For example, having Path in your environment (case insensitive) is different than using rustc --env Path=... (case sensitive).