# Reading Environment Variables

`fig.env` is an object that contains environment variables from the shell. For the moment,`fig.env` is only available when you explicitly call a fig command from the shell. This means `fig.env` is null if you link from one app to another without running a command in the user's terminal.

**Examples**

```
let currentDirectory = fig.env.PWD
let xpc = fig.env["XPC_SERVICE_NAME"]
```

The most important environment variables probably be `PWD`, `HOME` and `USER` (note all-caps)