Variables¶

Operation arguments may reference $NAME or ${NAME}. Resolution uses command overrides first, then project variables, then global variables. Project values therefore shadow global values with the same name.

rxchef var set KEY hex:001122 --global
rxchef project init
rxchef var set IV hex:00000000000000000000000000000000 --project
printf '%s' "$TOKEN" | rxchef var set TOKEN --stdin --secret --global
printf secret | rxchef pipe 'aes_encrypt,$KEY,$IV,CBC' --set KEY=hex:aabbccdd

Manage values with var set, var get, var list, and var unset. Inside the nearest ancestor containing .rxchef, mutations default to project scope. Outside a project they default to global scope. --project and --global override that choice. --set NAME=VALUE is ephemeral and never writes to disk.

Typed prefixes are interpreted after expansion: num:, bool:, hex:, and bytes:. var list hides values by default. --show-values reveals only non-secret values; --show-secrets is the explicit opt-in for secret values.

Secret values are stored as plaintext JSON—rxchef does not claim to encrypt them—but the variable file is created with owner-only permissions on Unix. Avoid committing project secrets; prefer an ephemeral --set value or a protected global store.

Set RXCHEF_HOME to replace the normal global configuration directory. This is useful for portable installations, isolated automation, and tests.