Environment variables are name-value pairs (also known as key-value pairs) that are dynamically loaded into a container at runtime. They are often used to pass configuration details to an app.
For example, your app might need to connect to a database or third-party API. Environment variables are a good way to provide authentication credentials to the container without hard coding them into the app itself. Keeping configuration details out of your source code also means you can safely check your code into a git repository without publicly exposing sensitive data.
Uffizzi uses environment variable to connect your app to your database instance. To setup this connection, enter the variable name that your app expects in the NAME field, then select from the list of auto-suggested values provided by Uffizzi. These values are generated once your deploy your application, so you may only see a placeholder if the database has not been created yet. Don't worry, Uffizzi will automatically replace these placeholders once your database is created.
For more information on environment variables and other best-practices, see The Twelve-Factor App.