Toggle is a verb that refers to switching from one state to another. It is commonly used in software where a feature can be turned on or off. Examples include toggles found on keyboards to enable the Caps and Num Lock functions or to switch between screens during a video chat with two friends simultaneously. It can also be found in user interfaces to provide users with a simple way to update their preferences or settings. Toggles typically require a single click or press of a key to perform.
The term “toggle” has been around since the 18th century and was originally used to describe a pin passed through the eye of a rope to fasten it. It was later applied to electronic switches. Toggle switches are used in a variety of products, including electrical devices, automobiles, airplanes, and computers. They are designed to be both rugged and reliable, and are often built with a durable plastic casing and rubber washers or O-rings to protect the internal components from damage or leaking oil.
In modern computing, toggles are often used to implement multivariate or A/B testing. In this type of testing, users are placed into different cohorts and at runtime the system will consistently send a given user down one codepath or the other based upon which cohort they are in. By tracking the aggregate behavior of the various cohorts we can determine which codepath is more effective at driving a desired business outcome. This can be a powerful way to drive rapid, data-driven optimizations in software and is often seen in the purchase flow of an ecommerce site or the Call To Action wording on a button.
A common design pattern is to have a toggle that allows the user to expand or collapse the content on an article page. This is useful for long pages with a lot of information and can help minimize scrolling for visitors. However, it is important to keep in mind that this can create visual clutter and might not always be the best solution.
Many businesses are concerned about negative reviews left on Google. Although there is no option to delete these reviews, it is possible to flag them and ask for removal. It is important to be courteous in your response, and make sure that you include any relevant details or evidence that could support your request for removal.
It is also a good idea to test your toggle configurations regularly. Ideally you should test your new release with the production toggle configuration flipped On and with the fallback configuration (which you plan to release) flipped Off. Some teams even go as far as putting expiration dates on their toggles so that they will automatically fail a test at some point in the future (for more dynamic feature flags at least). This can significantly reduce the amount of manual work that needs to be done to manually test and validate a release.
