configurationdriven

Configuration-driven refers to the design and operation of software systems in which much of the system’s behavior is determined by external configuration rather than hard-coded logic. In a configuration-driven approach, components expose configurable parameters, rules, workflows, and mappings that are read at runtime or during deployment to steer behavior. The configuration is typically stored in human-readable formats such as YAML, JSON, or XML, and may be sourced from environment variables, configuration files, databases, or remote configuration services. Rule engines, feature flag systems, and declarative configuration models are common implementations.

Examples of configuration-driven systems include content management systems where page layouts and validation rules are defined by configuration; business process management where workflows, routing, and validations are specified in config; and feature flags that control feature exposure without code changes. Infrastructure automation often relies on configuration-driven paradigms, as seen in infrastructure-as-code practices. Microservices may adjust behavior through configuration values rather than code changes.

Advantages of configuration-driven design include faster adaptation to changing requirements, reduced need for code changes and redeployments, easier non-developer control by operators, and a clearer separation of concerns. Disadvantages can include configuration complexity, higher risk of misconfiguration, debugging difficulties, potential performance overhead, and challenges in validating and versioning configurations to prevent drift.

Configuration-driven approaches are related to declarative programming, policy-based systems, and data-driven design, and are often used in conjunction with traditional code-driven development to improve flexibility and responsiveness of software systems.