I think it's because developers often mistake "parametric" with "programmable". We want to be able to use the DRY principle on our infrastructure, workflows, pi

I think it's because developers often mistake "parametric" with "programmable". We want to be able to use the DRY principle on our infrastructure, workflows, pipelines, etc. just as we do in code, and have some simple config options to make large changes easily. Code is simply what we're used to. CAD software is a great example of how this can be achieved without any code. I can construct the whole model visually in its most natural representation, but also define top-level parameters that make broad changes to the end result. And if complex destructive changes are needed, there's always a scripting interface.