Environment Variables
Environment variables are dynamic, named values that can affect the behavior of running processes on a computer system. They are used to store configuration settings, such as API keys, database URLs, or deployment modes, outside of application code. This allows developers to manage environment-specific configurations without modifying the source code.
Developers should use environment variables to separate configuration from code, enhancing security by keeping sensitive data like passwords out of version control and enabling easy deployment across different environments (e.g., development, staging, production). They are essential for building scalable and maintainable applications, as they allow for dynamic configuration changes without redeploying the application.