# Integer Environment variables

**URL:** <https://discuss.circleci.com/t/integer-environment-variables/34772>\
**Category:** Build Environment\
**Created:** [March 3, 2020, 7:48am UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/integer-environment-variables/34772 "2020-03-03T07:48:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sxh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/sxh/32/24307_2.png) [@sxh](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/sxh)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 7:48am UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/integer-environment-variables/34772/1 "2020-03-03T07:48:34Z")

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I have set up an environment variable with a port number (8888 in this case). I would like to provide that as a parameter to a command that expects an integer:

- wait-for/port:  
port: 8888

When I try this I get a yaml error saying a string has been received when an integer was expected:

- wait-for/port:  
port: ${DATASTORE\_EMULATOR\_PORT}

Is there a way to use an environment variable where an integer is expected?

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**Author:** ![ScottW](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/scottw/32/22363_2.png) [@ScottW](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/ScottW)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2020, 3:29pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/integer-environment-variables/34772/2 "2020-03-05T15:29:53Z")

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Hello sxh!

Welcome to CircleCI Discuss!

It appears an Orb is being used in this case, if the Orb defines the variable type as `integer`, it won’t be able to accept an environment variable. The parameter type for a parameter you’d like to assign as an environment variable is `env_var_name`.

If you are using someone else’s Orb, you can grab the source code using the CLI command `circleci orb source namespace/orbname`, make any changes and republish under your namespace.