Most data elements get a variable, but the data element also provides the function of Custom Code, which allows you to use JavaScript in the data element to handle some complex problems. JavaScript greatly enhances the functionality of data elements.
The configuration page for the Custom Code looks like this, without too many configuration options:
Just click Open Editor to edit JavaScript:
The purpose of this code is to categorize pages based on URL.
You can also do a lot of things, such as assembling the returned data according to your needs, just like you use code to process the data. The difference is that this is on Adobe Launch