What are environment variables in a Pega application?

Environment variables in a Pega application are configurations that set application behaviors based on the operating environment. These variables allow developers and system administrators to modify application behavior without altering the actual code. For example, different environments such as development, testing, and production might require different configurations, such as connection strings, feature flags, or specific service endpoints. By using environment variables for these configurations, an application can adapt to the requirements of each environment, promoting flexibility and maintainability.

Using environment variables means that changes can be made in one place, and the application will automatically pick up these updates when it runs, allowing for smoother transitions between different stages of application deployment. This approach is particularly beneficial in large-scale applications where maintaining consistency across environments is critical for both performance and reliability.