# Creating a Hardhat Runtime Environment programmatically

Description: How to initialize and configure a Hardhat Runtime Environment programmatically

Note: This document was authored using MDX

  Source: https://github.com/NomicFoundation/hardhat-website/tree/main/src/content/docs/docs/cookbook/programmatic-hre.mdx

The Hardhat Runtime Environment can be created programmatically, which is useful for scripting, testing, and having multiple instances of it at the same time.

## Creating a Hardhat Runtime Environment with a configuration file

You can create a Hardhat Runtime Environment using a configuration file like this:

```ts
import {
  createHardhatRuntimeEnvironment,
  resolveHardhatConfigPath,
  importUserConfig,
} from "hardhat/hre";

const configPath = await resolveHardhatConfigPath();
const config = await importUserConfig(configPath);
const hre = await createHardhatRuntimeEnvironment(config, {
  config: configPath,
  // other global options, like network
});
```

In this example, `resolveHardhatConfigPath` finds the configuration file path using the same logic as the Hardhat CLI. You can use an absolute path instead.

`createHardhatRuntimeEnvironment` takes a configuration object as its first argument, followed by an object with [Global Options](/docs/explanations/global-options). It also accepts an optional third parameter with the path to the project root. You'll rarely need it, but it's useful for creating a Hardhat Runtime Environment in a different directory.

## Creating a Hardhat Runtime Environment without a configuration file

You can also create a Hardhat Runtime Environment with an in-memory configuration object that doesn't come from a file:

```ts
import { defineConfig } from "hardhat/config";
import { createHardhatRuntimeEnvironment } from "hardhat/hre";

const config = defineConfig({
  solidity: "0.8.28",
});

const hre = await createHardhatRuntimeEnvironment(config, {
  // optional object with global options, but no config path
});
```

The only differences here are that you define the config inline instead of using a file, and that you don't pass the `config` Global Option to `createHardhatRuntimeEnvironment`.

## Learn more

To learn more about the Hardhat Runtime Environment, read the [Hardhat Runtime Environment](/docs/explanations/hardhat-runtime-environment) documentation.

For configuration details, see the [Configuration reference](/docs/reference/configuration).