Meteor App Check for Ensuring You're Using --settings

checkForSettings.js

// lets complain to server command line if you forgot --settings when running Meteor
Meteor.startup(function () {
  if (Meteor.isServer) {  
    if (Object.keys(Meteor.settings).length === 0) {
      console.log("You forgot to run Meteor with --settings!");
    }
  }
});

Pro tip, for sure. This is a great way to help developers get introduced to Meteor or a Meteor project.

Have you seen this way of passing initializing settings? https://github.com/awatson1978/meteor-cookbook/blob/master/cookbook/environment-detection.md#configuring-an-app-based-on-different-environemnts

I have been using that technique in a few projects now.

That's excellent. It's actually what we do in Node.js projects but I never looked at repeating it in Meteor. Thanks.

Here's another way to do the same thing :)

https://github.com/xolvio/Letterpress/blob/master/server/settings.js

Sorry to sound super daft, but why should you start Meteor apps with --settings? What are --settings and how are they best used? From what I gather it's a way of setting environment variables? Would love a noob guide to settings.

Settings are a way to have a per environment variable easily controller by the settings file. Think of things like s3 keys, etc.