What is the primary purpose of a data transform in setting property values?

A data transform in Pega is primarily used to set property values, which involves assigning a value from one property (the source) to another (the target). This process is fundamental in configuring how data flows within an application, enabling you to manipulate and organize data efficiently.

The primary purpose of setting the target equal to the source reflects the core functionality of data transforms, where you can easily copy data from one location to another while also allowing the ability to apply some transformations if needed. This is a key feature when initializing or updating values within the context of your application's workflow.

Other options, while they describe aspects of data handling, do not capture the essence of data transforms to the same degree. Merging data typically involves combining multiple sources into a single entity, which is more complex than simply setting values. Copying data, while it sounds relevant, is too vague and does not emphasize the assignment aspect. Validating data formats is another critical task but falls outside the primary function of a data transform, which does not inherently include validation mechanisms. Thus, the focus on setting the target equal to the source accurately represents the main purpose of a data transform in Pega.